Tag: Jack Colby

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/24/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Mansfield, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Attleboro rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to bring the go-ahead run to the plate but the Hornets got the final out to secure the 3-2 win. Mansfield took a 2-0 lead with two runs in the top of the fifth and then tacked on what turned out to be the game-winning run in the top of the seventh, taking advantage of a pair of Bombardier errors. Jack Colby walked to open the seventh and advanced to third on a throwing error. Two batters later, an infield error allowed Colby to come home to make it 3-0. Colby was one of five Hornets with a hit; Luke Urban had a hit, a walk, an RBI, and a run scored for Mansfield. Anthony Sacchetti earned the win on the mound with a complete game effort. Sacchetti limited the hosts to two runs on one talk and five hits while striking out 12. Ben Hochwarter smacked a two-run triple in the seventh for Attleboro.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Senior Dennis Colleran and the Rocketeers prevailed victorious in battle that featured two of the top pitchers in the area, earning a key division win on the road. Colleran tossed a complete game with just three hits along, striking out 13 to get the win. Canton junior Andrew Middleton also had a strong showing with just two earned runs allowed on two hits in 6.1 innings of work, also racking up 12 strikeouts. North struck first on an RBI single from Jared Penta in the third inning but the Bulldogs leveled the score in the bottom half on an RBI from Steven Burbank. North sophomore Aidan Conrad brought Tyler Bannon (walk, two stolen bases) in on a squeeze in the top of the sixth and Penta followed with a sacrifice fly to add an insurance run.

Foxboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Foxboro senior Dylan Quinn had his best start of the season, tossing a complete game shutout on the road to lead the Warriors to an important division win. Quinn allowed just two hits and issued just two walks while striking out 11 Stoughton batters. Offensively, Foxboro plated a pair of runs in each the first and fourth, and a single run in the second inning. Tom Marcucella (RBI, run) and Sean O’Leary (two RBI) each had a pair of hits to pace the Foxboro offense and sophomore Ryan LeClair recorded two RBI in the win.

Franklin, 6 @ Taunton, 4 – Final – In one of their toughest tests to date, Franklin emerged with a 6-4 win on the road over division rival Taunton. Sophomore Alfred Mucciarone earned the win with three runs allowed on six hits and one walk, striking out three in four innings. Junior Ethan Voellmicke was strong in relief with one run allowed on three hits in three innings of work. Jack Marino had a double and drove in a pair of run for the Panthers, Ben Jarosz added a hit, a walk, a run, and an RBI, and Nate Cooke had three hits on the day, driving in one and scoring once. Ryan MacDougall and Danny MacDougall (RBI) each had two hits, including a double each, while Dawson Bryce plated a pair of runs on two hits.

King Philip, 3 @ Milford, 8 – Final – Milford took care of business at home, securing an 8-3 win over visiting King Philip. Mario Lee earned the win on the mound, striking out five in five innings of work.

Sharon, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 11 – Final (5 Inn.) – Oliver Ames put together its most complete performance of the season, getting it done both offensively and on the mound in a win over Sharon. Nick Clark allowed one unearned run on two hits and one walk, striking out 10 to get the win in five innings. Jake Waxman went 3-for-3 on the day with six total bas, driving in three runs to pace the offense. Jadon Ricci added two hits and four RBI and Joe Cicchetti, who made some great plays defensively at first, added three hits, including a triple, and three RBI.










Softball
Attleboro, 19 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final (5 Inn.) – Attleboro put together an impressive offensive display to earn the division win. The Bombardiers belted out 24 hits, scoring in every inning to get the win on the road. Riley Camacho and Lindsey Perry highlighted the big offensive day with four hits apiece while Haley Perry, Lora Woyton, and Kayla Goldrick each recorded three hits. Lindsey Perry earned the win in the circle with four strikeouts. Mansfield recorded seven hits in the loss. Callie Lake, Jill Koppy, Molly Kucharski, Ashlyn Conley, Alanna Conley, Nicole Kobasa, and Abby DeCoste each had hits for the Hornets.

Stoughton, 7 @ Foxboro, 14 – Final – For Stoughton, Melody Casna and Kerry Driscoll each connected on a home run but Foxboro was able to defend its home field behind an offensive outburst. Casna went 3-for-4 overall, adding a pair of doubles to go with the home run. Driscoll smashed a two-run blast while Kate Bulger and Nicole Baker each had a pair of base hits for the Black Knights.

Taunton, 12 @ Franklin, 0 – Final (6 Inn.) – Holding a 6-0 lead on the road through the first innings, Taunton doubled its offensive output in the sixth inning to finish the game off. The Tigers had 12 hits as a team as senior Kelsey White went 4-for-4, hitting a pair of home runs to finish with three RBI and two runs scored. Hannah Aldrich (three RBI, three runs) also hit a home run for the Tigers, and McKenzie McAloon (run) and Skylar Rheaume add drove in a pair of runs. In the circle, freshman Sam Lincoln tossed a one-hitter, stirking out 10 with two walks for the win.

Milford, 1 @ King Philip, 18 – Final (5 Inn.) – King Philip pushed across six runs in the first inning and then blew the game wide open with 10 runs in the third inning to knock off visiting Milford. Junior Emma Sheehan tossed a five-inning no-hitter for the hosts, allowing just two walks while striking out nine In the circle Charlotte Raymond (four RBI, two runs), Meg Sherwood (home run, three RBI, two runs), and Mia Bennett (RBI, run) each collected three hits on the day. Maddie Paschke (two RBI, three runs), Paige Berdos (four RBI, two runs) and Libby Walsh (two RBI, three runs) each added two hits for KP, who totaled 18 hits as a team.

Canton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 12 – Final – North Attleboro bounced back from its second loss of the season with a big win against Canton. Zoey McDonough went the distance to get the win, allowing only three hits and striking out 11. Kelly Colleran went 4-for-4 and blasted a three-run homer. Shaelyn Burns added a three-run homer of her own, and went 3-for-3 with a walk. Belle Clarkin had a pair of hits and drove in two. Emily Nardelli had a hit and scored twice and Grace Simmons had a hit and an RBI and Mandi Hanewich made a great diving catch in center for the Rocketeers.

Sharon, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames sophomore Katie Melendy had a day to remember, earning the win in the circle and helping her cause with a big day at the plate. Melendy struck out 10 in a complete game effort with no earned runs allowed on six hits. Offensively, she helped herself out by driving in three runs. Katherine Farley added two hits, two RBI, and two runs, Lexi Galsband added two hits, an RBI, and a run scored. Grace Simone chipped in with three hits and two runs and Kalei Clark crossed home three runs in the win. Trinity Payne and Ally Foulsham both recorded four strikeouts in the circle and Payne and Savannah Gray scored the runs for the Eagles.




Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro @ North Attleboro, 3:45

Milford, 5 @ Canton, 15 – Final

Foxboro, 6 vs. Cohasset, 7 – Final (OT)

Franklin, 19 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Franklin continued its unbeaten start to the season with a win on the road over Oliver Ames. Sophomore Luke Davis registered four goals and four assists to pace the Panthers, Matt Lazzaro added six assists, Jayden Consigli added three goals and one helper, and Justin Abely added three goals. Remi Creighton scored both goals for Oliver Ames.

Mansfield @ Stoughton, 3:45

Sharon, 9 @ King Philip, 8 – Final (OT) – Sharon’s Adam Rabb turned aside 19 shots, Ben Shocket won all but one faceoff and the Eagles picked up an overtime win on the road over King Philip. Brady Daylor had a team-high four goals, Drew Litner notched a hat trick, and Ryan Brown and Aaron Livshin each scored once.




Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro @ North Attleboro, 5:30

Milford, 9 @ Canton, 13 – Final – Milford trimmed the deficit to just two at 8-6 but the Bulldogs pulled away to get the win. For the Scarlet Hawks, sophomore Carly Haley scored a hat trick, juniors Aislinn Bennett and Stephanie Goulet each scored two goals, sophomore Emily Croteau found the back of the net once, and senior defender Katie Maietta scored her first career varsity goal.

Taunton, 6 @ Foxboro, 20 – Final – Foxboro jumped out to a 13-4 lead in the first half, scored 20 goals for the second game in a row, and extended its win streak to eight straight. Paige Curran led the way for the Warriors with five goals and three assists and fellow sophomore Mya Waryas chipped in with four goals. Lilly Vey had three goals and three assists. Mary Collins had two goals and three assists, Dylan Rappoli had two goals and two assists, Ella Waryas had two goals and an assist, and Kate Collins and Val Beigel each scored once. Maddie Maher made one save in the win.

Franklin, 18 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – For OA, head coach Gen Rogan praised the play of both Reese Pereira (offensively) and Hailey Bourne (defensively).

Sharon, 6 @ King Philip, 15 – Final – KP rebounded from a two-game losing streak (both to Franklin) and got back in the win column against Sharon. Julia Marsden (five goals) and Haley Izydorczak (four goals, assist) each had five points in the win, Lily Brown added four goals, Morgan Cunningham added a pair of goals and assists, and Peyton Mellman scored once for KP. Jenna Goldstein continued her strong season for the Eagles with four goals and four draw controls. Cass Barbera scored once and Vivian Pedicone added her first varsity goal. Tess Letendre made 12 saves for the Eagles.




Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield won all five matches in straight sets to earn a sweep of visiting Attleboro. Kailash Elumelai secured a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles, Benson Delaney didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and Nikhil Nain emerged with a 6-3, 6-1 win at third singles. The senior duo of Kai Schirmacher and Nikhil Lankipalle battled to a 6-1, 6-2 win at first doubles while junior Jonah Fine and sophomore Jessie Colchimiro earned a 6-3, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Canton, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Canton picked up its biggest win of the season with a 4-1 decision on the road. Suraj Ramanathan battled to a 6-3, 6-1 win at first double, Max Kupferman prevailed 6-3, 7-5 at second singles, and Minh Duong outlasted his opponent to earn a 6-3,3-6,6-4 win at third singles. North Attleboro’s Brody Carter and Niteesh Saravanan picked up a 6-2, 7-6 (7) decision at second doubles.

Stoughton, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – Foxboro’s depth was on display as the Warriors picked up wins at second and third singles plus a win at first doubles. Justine Neale earned a hard-fought win at second singles at 7-5, 6-2, junior Bo Cainfield picked up a 6-4, 6-2 win at third singles and the team of senior Jason Kandula and freshman Justin Kandula knocked off their opponents 6-4, 6-2 at first doubles. Stoughton’s Waseem Sablon rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles while the second duos team of Murtaza Khalil and Ben Dias secured a 6-0, 6-4 victory.

Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – The Kelley-Rex leading Panthers took care of business in another division win, this time sweeping visiting Taunton. Liam Marr (first singles), Vayshnav Malhotra (second), Drew Mahoney (third) and the team of Thomas Broyles and Jay Gorgas (second doubles) all won by the same 6-0, 6-0 score. Anish Gundimeda and Sameen Shaik picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final

Milford, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – King Philip defended home court with a singles sweep, adding one more win in doubles action, to beat visiting Milford. In doubles play, junior Diego Meto and sophomore Nate Ihley battled to a 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 win at first doubles for KP while Milford’s Connor MacLeod and Leo Donnelly won 2-6, 2-6 at second doubles. In singles action, senior Nick Putney didn’t drop a game at first singles, Brady Jannell picked up a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles, and sophomore Jackson Hem was on the winning side of a 6-0, 6-3 decision.




Girls Tennis
Mansfield, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Mansfield earned a pair of wins in both singles and doubles action to claim a win on the road over the Bombardiers. Senior Alex Burnham battled to a 6-3, 6-4 win at first singles and junior Kate Martin claimed a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles for the Hornets. The team of Sarah Harrington and Alexis O’Keefe prevailed in a three-set thriller 6-4, 2-6, 6-0 at first doubles while the team of Ally McDavitt and Caroline Gurauvage secured a 6-2, 7-7 (7-6) victory at second doubles.

North Attleboro, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final – By taking wins in two of the three singles matches and one of the two doubles matches, Canton successfully defended home court with a 3-2 decision over the Rocketeers. Rachel Kupferman rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles, Laura Correal earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at second singles, and the team of Lily Hazam and Olivia Durham walked away with a 6-1, 6-1 win at first doubles. North Attleboro’s Teresa Fan came away with a 7-6 (3), 10-6 win at second singles and the second doubles pairing of Lauren Constantino and Kyra Sha prevailed 6-4, 5-7 10-7.

Foxboro, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Foxboro leaned on its singles players to secure a 3-2 win on the road over Stoughton. Athena Li picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles, Pam Nelson was victorious 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles, and Sarah Prag picked up a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. Stoughton’s first doubles team of Brooke Bulger and Emily Pham-Nguyen emerged with a 7-6 (4), 4-6, 10-7 win at first doubles while the pairing of Nadia Prokopiuk and Emilia Lada earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at second doubles.

Franklin, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Taunton defended home court by winning all five matches against visiting Franklin. Jocelyn Pagliuca secured a 6-2, 6-4 win at first singles, Kayla Parrett added a 6-1, 6-2 win at second singles, and Cayeesha Charles earned a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 win at third singles. Brooke Bell and Sam Parrett teamed up for a 6-1, 7-5 win at first doubles while Morgan Smith and Courtney Martin prevailed 6-0, 6-2 at second singles.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – The Eagles won all three of the singles matches and added another point from doubles play to get the win at home. Navya Shukla won 6-2, 6-3 at first singles, Allie Aguilar didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and Hannah Faberman earned a 6-1, 6-2 win at third singles. Sree Dandy and Sasha Fein teamed up for a 6-4, 6-1 win at second doubles for the Eagles. OA’s Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou earned a 7-5, 6-2 win at second doubles.

King Philip, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – King Philip went on the road and won all five matches in straight sets to knock off Milford. Katarina Schneider (first singles), Mia Valencia (second singles), and the team of Amanda vanRoon and Dilara Onur (second doubles) all won by a 6-0, 6-0 score. Sammie Taylor locked up a 6-0, 6-4 win at third singles while Ahunna James teamed with Shea Mellman for a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles.




Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 @ Durfee, 0 – Final – Taunton took care of business on the road with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 15-7) sweep on the road over the Hilltoppers. Tyler Stewart (17 kills, eight digs) and Jakob Thorpe (12 kills, four digs) and Faisal Mass (six kills, three blocks) paced the offense for the visitors while Travis Nunes (nine digs, two aces) played well defensively.

Wrestling
King Philip @ Foxboro, 4:30

Franklin, 33 @ North Attleboro, 30 – Final – Franklin’s Matt Walker earned an 8-2 decision in the heavyweight bout to give the Panthers a win on the road over North in a battle of Hockomock wrestling elites. Jake Carlucci (132) and Nolan Sheridan (220) each had pinfall victories for the Panthers while Drew DiFilippo (120, 10-1 major decision), Alex Fracassa (160, tech fall), and Liam Cogavin (195, 6-4 decision) also won for Franklin. Andrew Faris (138, fall), Ethan Smith (145, 3-0), Chris Galligan (152, fall), Dylan Vigstol (170, fall), and Greg Berthiaume (182, 4-2) all won for North Attleboro.

2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Taunton senior Danny MacDougall, pictured here as a sophomore in 2019, is one of the few returners for the defending D1 State Champs. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Attleboro

2019 Record: 14-10
2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final
Coach: Steve Dunlea

Two years ago, Attleboro made a run to the Div. 1 South final, only to run into league rival and eventual state champ Taunton. While the Bombardiers only return three players with varsity experience, Attleboro will be looking to replicate some of that momentum and challenge the top teams for the Kelley-Rex division title this spring.

2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Senior catcher Bailey Camacho caught half the innings during his sophomore season and will be the starter this spring, as well as an important presence in the lineup. Seniors Jake Gorman and Matt McMahon will both be part of the rotation and play corner infield spots when they’re not on the mound building off the experience they got two years ago. Senior Cam Foster adds speed at short and will be the closer, while juniors Billy Saltmarsh and Cian Kelleher, and sophomores Dillon James and Danny Johnson are part of what should be a deep staff for the Bombardiers. Speed should also be a strength for Attleboro, including outfielders Ben Hochwarter, Nate George, Hayden Hegarty, and Packer Sackett, and middle infielders Owen Taber and Evan Houle. Junior Christian Dame is a versatile player who can step in at multiple positions.

“We’re excited to get our players out there to see what we can accomplish,” said Attleboro coach Steve Dunlea. “Our guys have worked very hard during the off-season and have come a long way in the past few years. We are particularly proud of our senior leadership. It’s been a tough year and we are so grateful to the MIAA and ADs for making this season happen for our seniors.”

Canton

2019 Record: 6-14
2019 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Ben Shuffain

Canton had a great start to the 2019 season under then first-year head coach Ben Shuffain, including an impressive win over Wellesley. But almost all of the Bulldogs’ wins came in the first half of the season. Now Canton will look to start strong and continue that throughout the year as they look to challenge for the Davenport division title.

The Bulldogs are one of the teams that have a good number of players that played back in 2019 so there is a lot of optimism surrounding the experience on the roster this season. Canton has four starters back for this year’s campaign: shortstop/right-handed pitcher Steve Burbank, outfielder Cam Sanchez, catcher/outfielder Sawyer Julier-Albert, and right-handed pitcher Nate Hewit. Both Burbank (0.328) and Julier-Albert (0.395) were among the league leaders in batting average as sophomores so they will be key pieces for the offense this year. Shuffain will also look for contributions from outfielders Andy Butler and Zach Peters, infielder Nico Bonanno, and utility option Matt Quan — all four could also see time pitching.

Burbank will also see time on the mound and Hewit will be an important piece of the pitching staff this year. Junior Andrew Middleton, who tossed a perfect game in the season-opener, will obviously be a major part of the rotation as well, giving the Bulldogs solid depth. Behind the pitching staff, there will be a lot of players who have experience at the varsity level so Shuffain hopes mistakes will be at a minimum.

“We are lucky to have a good number of players who have varsity experience from 2018 and 2019,” Shuffain said. “They have been preparing for 18 months for this season and this group has tremendous leadership and a ton of talent. I am excited to see what they can do on the field.”

Foxboro

2019 Record: 6-14
2019 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Derek Suess

For the 2021 season, it all starts with pitching for the Foxboro Warriors. The 2019 squad graduated six players, and there were nine juniors on that team that missed out on their senior season a year ago. That means Foxboro has four players coming back for this spring, and almost all picked up a lot of valuable experience the last time out.

2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Seniors Cam Prescott and Sean Yoest will headline the Warriors’ rotation, bringing a lot of experience to the staff. Prescott logged over 26 innings as a sophomore, allowing just four walks with a 1.86 ERA. Yoest had a lot of success at the plate as a sophomore and will be looking to replicate that on the mound this year. Sophomore Sean O’Leary will likely be a key piece on the mound when fully healthy and the Warriors will look to seniors Dylan Quinn, Mike O’Toole, Ryan Jacobs, and Sebastian Ortiz, as well as juniors Liam Mulkern and Tom Marcucella to provide pitching depth.

Yoest will patrol the outfield when he’s not on the mound and will be a key piece offensively after hitting 0.346 as a sophomore with 11 runs scored and 11 RBI. Yoest will be joined in the outfield by junior Jack Watts, a three-sport athlete who has excelled in golf and hockey, and sophomore Kenny Mello. Marcucella will also see time in the outfield while senior Griffin Morse is a solid depth piece that can play all three spots in the outfield.

Prescott will see time at either third or shortstop when he’s not pitching. Beyond Prescott, the Warriors will have some inexperience around the infield with freshman Tyler Prescott (second base) and sophomore Ryan LeClair (shortstop) impressing early on. Mulkern and O’Toole will provide the infield with some senior leadership from first while Marcucella and Ortiz providing depth. Mulkern will also be an option behind the plate while junior Mike LaVita will step into the starting role at catcher.

“We are excited for the opportunity to get back on the field and compete every day,” head coach Derek Suess said. “Having our top two arms still here is comforting, but we will need contributions from many different guys. We have a good mix of seniors and underclassmen who have bought in to our vision for the season.”

Franklin

2019 Record: 22-3
2019 Finish: Reached Super 8
Coach: Zach Brown

While Franklin won’t be able to make it three straight appearances in the Super 8 with the tournament not happening this year (and possibly for a couple of years), there is something the Panthers can do: defend their Kelley-Rex division title.

2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

The Panthers were nearly perfect in league action during the 2019 season (15-1) and will be one of the favorites for the title again this year. But it will be almost an entirely new cast of players doing so. Franklin had 10 seniors on that team plus another seven juniors that graduated last year, meaning just a handful of players from the roster are back. Of that group, just one starter is back in senior Jake Fitzgibbons, who played second base at the time.

Now Fitzgibbons moves behind the plate and will be in charge of handling a pitching staff that is new to the varsity level. Having him behind the plate should make it easier for the likes of junior Jacob Jette and sophomore Alfred Mucciarone, who figure to be two of the key components of Franklin’s rotation this season. And when needed, Fitzgibbons will switch out from behind the plate and take the mound himself.

Seniors Nate Cooke and CJ Jette serve as captains alongside Fitzgibbons and will provide leadership both on and off the field. Cooke is slated to start at first base and will bring a big bat to the lineup while Jette will see time both in the outfield and at designated hitter. Seniors Luc Boudreau (outfielder) and Nick Quinn (right-handed pitcher) have impressed early on as well.

“As always the cornerstone of our program is pitching and defense,” said head coach Zach Brown. “We believe we have the right mix of athletes and arms to compete daily this season. Offensively, we believe that our line-up can be pretty athletic. Obviously, we are all in the same boat missing last season so it will be an exciting season to get back out onto the field. I know the players and our coaching staff are really excited for the games to start up.”




King Philip

2019 Record: 8-12
2019 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Jeff Plympton

There will be a lot of new faces on the mound, in the field, in the batter’s box, and even on the bench for the King Philip Warriors this season. Looking back at the 2019 season, only one name is back in action for the Warriors this season. And on top of that, there’s a new coach in the dugout in Jeff Plympton.

2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Both Conor Cooke and Jack Silveria saw plenty of action during their sophomore seasons but Silveria will miss his senior campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That means that Plympton and the rest of the Warriors will lean heavily on Cooke, a three-year starter who will guide KP from behind the plate. Cooke, who is committed to play at Brown University, is a rock behind the plate and that will be important as KP deploys a pitching staff that is new to the varsity level. That rotation will feature junior Nick Viscusi and sophomore Rudy Gately, with seniors Jack Mullen, Grayden Lawrence, Harry Brown, and Jake Burns all providing depth.

Cooke will be a key part of the offense as well, slated to hit from the clean up spot. Viscusi will set the tone from the leadoff spot and can cause some damage on the base paths with his speed. Junior Shawn Lagere will start at shortstop and bat third in the lineup, providing the Warriors with some power while Gately will see time at third when he isn’t on the mound. Seniors Ethan Hurwitz and Mikey Malatesta provide outfield depth and Plympton has 10 juniors on the roster to help fill out the lineup.

“Looking forward to getting the season going and watching the team play together,” Plympton said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had high school baseball and most of our guys, like many teams, are new to the varsity level. We have some good talent on our team. Plenty of good throwing arms to get us through the new pitching restrictions. The infield is solid with very dependable fielders around the diamond. The outfield is fast and does a great job tracking fly balls. I believe defense will be our best strength this season. The players have been putting in a lot of hard work during practices.”

Mansfield

2019 Record: 18-7
2019 Finish: Reached Super 8
Coach: Chris Hall

Joe Breen had a very successful run at the helm of the Hornets, and his successor is one that the program is very familiar with. Chris Hall, who served as Breen’s assistant, takes over and is aiming to continue the success that Mansfield has had in recent seasons.

Coming off one of their best seasons in program history that culminated in a second straight Super 8 appearance, the Hornets will try to rebuild their lineup with a strong core of seniors. Eric Sullivan will move into the starting role behind the plate and will be a vocal leader both on and off the field for the Hornets. Three-sport athlete Jack Colby is slated to take over at first base, Luke Urban looks to take over at second base, Ben Mintz can slot into a variety of roles, including in the field or on the mound, and Greg Coyle, the lone returner from the 2019 team, will be an option on the mound for the Hornets. Juniors Jared Fraone and Liam Anastasia will help round out the lineup.

Coyle will be joined by juniors Aaron Blinn, Anthony Sacchetti, and Jimmy Gilleran on the Hornets’ staff. That group brings a lot of baseball experience and a range of knowledge, and Hall is hoping all of that will translate to the varsity level. Mintz, Colby Geddis, and Brayden Purtell will look to provide additional innings in relief.

“With two years off due to COVID-19, and few players having varsity experience, I expected tryouts to be exciting,” Hall said. “Our players knew they had to come in and earn everything to gain a spot in the starting lineup. There continues to be daily position battles daily and it pushes players to improve. The talent we have in the program is consistent from top to bottom. The team brings energy and enthusiasm to everything they do and it truly makes the atmosphere on the field second to none. We cannot wait to get out on the field and compete against some of the best competition in the Hockomock League.”

Milford

2019 Record: 11-11
2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Alex Dion

Milford will be the new kids on the block this season in their first year apart of the Kelley-Rex division, which features two teams that went to the Super 8 last time out and another that won the D1 State title.

The Hawks are going to rely on their pitching as they compete for the division title. Senior right-hander Mario Lee and classmate Wes Solomon, another righty, both picked up valuable experience as sophomores during the 2019 season and will anchor the Milford pitching rotation. Lee, who is committed to playing both football and baseball at Wesleyan, pitched in 10 games out of the bullpen in 2019 while Solomon appeared in five games with a 2.33 ERA.

Sophomore Evan Cornelius is a “big, physical kid” according to head coach Alex Dion, and he will round out the Hawks’ rotation this season. When he isn’t on the mound, Cornelius will be behind the plate and the same goes for Solomon, who could also see him in the middle infield. Lee will also be in the lineup when he’s not on the mound, playing at either first or third. Senior Carter Scudo burst onto the scene as a sophomore, hitting 0.352, and will be the catalyst to the offense this year, batting in the leadoff spot. He will anchor the outfield defense from center field.

“I’m excited to start our 2021 season,” Dion said. “It has been great to get back out on Fino Field for the first time since 2019. I have a good group of young men this year with players from all four classes making the varsity roster. This is a great league with quality teams, players, and coaches throughout. We will go out and compete to the best of our ability on a daily basis. I am optimistic about what this group has to offer this year and in the future.”

North Attleboro

2019 Record: 11-10
2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round
Coach: Mike Hart

North Attleboro head coach Mike Hart has the best arm in the Hockomock League in senior Dennis Colleran and the 2019 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Jared Penta as the catalyst for the offense so the Rocketeers will certainly be in the mix for the Davenport title this season.

2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Colleran, who is committed to pitch at Northeastern, has been a member of the Rocketeers since his freshman year, making his first appearance in North’s D2 South Semifinal win over Dartmouth back in 2018. He logged 37.1 innings as a sophomore, posting a 3-4 record with a 2.63 ERA during the 2019 season. Since then, Colleran has honed his skills on the club scene and is poised to lead the Rocketeers this year. Senior Joe Hartnett and junior Danny Curran look to fill out the rotation while the Rocketeers have plenty of depth pieces including Tyler Bannon, Dan Pedro, Derek Maceda, and Aidan Weir.

Penta will hit from the leadoff spot and set the tone for the offense. Weir and classmate Justin Vecchiarelli will anchor the infield Maceda, a sophomore, could be poised for a breakout season at shortstop. Curran will also see time in the outfield when he isn’t pitching while senior Evan Vigorito, and juniors Brody Rosenberg, and Gavin Wells will be in the outfield mix. Bannon and Nik Kojoian will be options behind the dish for the Rocketeers.

“Just like other teams in the league, we are curious how our players will make the jump to varsity baseball,” Hart said. “We will do our best to be fundamentally sound and keep things simple. Our pitching staff has a handful of competitive guys who are looking for an opportunity to help the team. The boys are excited about the season and hope we can bring a consistent approach to all our opportunities this year.”




Oliver Ames

2019 Record: 12-13
2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal
Coach: Joe Abarr

After reaching the D2 South Sectional Final in 2018, the Tigers fielded basically an entirely new squad during the 2019 campaign. Two years later, Oliver Ames looks to be in the same boat as there minimal varsity experience on the roaster.

Senior Nate Fulford is one of the few players that did see varsity action two years ago, emerging as a go-to option offensively as a pinch-hitter as a sophomore. Now Fulford will be a key piece in the lineup each game, manning third base and bringing a big bat to the heart of the lineup. Senior Jadon Ricci will take over at shortstop and is slated to hit near the top of the lineup.

Junior Jack Richardson was a part of the Tigers’ varsity squad as a freshman and is now in position to anchor the rotation. He’ll be in the lineup even when he’s not on the mound, patrolling the always tricky outfield at Frothingham Park for the Tigers. When it comes to new faces on the squad this year, junior Jake Waxman brings a big bat to the lineup and can bring some pop to the offense; he will start at first base defensively. Junior Joe Cicchetti has impressed early on in tryouts and the preseason both offensively and defensively, and he is slated to start in center for the Tigers.

“We should have a solid lineup,” said OA head coach Joe Abarr. “We have depth at most positions and decent options on the mound. With so little practice time prior to the first game, there are still a lot of questions to be answered, but we have a great group of guys that are really looking to compete this year.”

Sharon

2019 Record: 2-18
2019 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Andrew Poliferno

The last time the Eagles hit the field, they had one of the youngest teams in the Hockomock League. Now that means there is a lot of returning players back in the dugout this year and Sharon should be one of the most experienced groups in terms of baseball played.

2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Sharon has a new head coach in alum Andrew Poliferno, who is no stranger to the program after coaching at each level over the past few seasons. Poliferno takes over for Kee Arguimbau, who had been with the program as a coach for nearly 20 years including the last four as head coach. Poliferno has 10 seniors at his disposal this year including two of the most experienced players in JD Rittenberg and Justin Brown, who both started as sophomores in 2019. Playing at second and short, respectively, the Eagles will have solid defense up the middle of the field. Sharon expects strong defense to come with the experience it has.

Junior Dylan Labbe pitched some innings as a freshman so the Eagles will lean on him as one of the anchors of the pitching staff. Senior Justin Nault and junior Ryan Baker will also see time on the mound while freshman Luke Meixel is slated to be a part of the starting rotation right away. Offensively, Rittenberg and Brown will lead the way once again. Baker and classmate Nate Yaffe should slot into the lineup in their first year on varsity, playing third and outfield, respectively. Poliferno is also looking for contributions from Damien Bonner and Daniel Zagoren offensively.

“After a missed season, it’s wonderful to see our players back out on the field,” Poliferno said. “Despite the year off, I was impressed with the growth and progress our players made since they last played high school baseball. It was clear to me we have a program of players who work hard during the off-season and I look forward to seeing their hard work translate to wins this season.”

Stoughton

2019 Record: 14-9
2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal
Coach: Mike Armour

Like most schools, Stoughton has a limited number of players with varsity experience on the roster this season. It will be baptism by fire for a lot of new faces as head coach Mike Armour will look to get the most out of his lineup to try and compete for the Davenport division title.

The players that do have any varsity experience will be key, especially early on in the season as the rest of the Black Knights get used to the varsity level. Senior Brady Conlin will anchor the Stoughton staff on the mound this year and also hit in the heart of the lineup. Conlin has experience both pitching and at the plate and could be one of the most dangerous all-around players in the league. Senior captain Kyle Doolin will anchor the infield and is an option to pitch as well. He is slated to hit near the top of the lineup and could also see time behind the plate defensively.

Jake Queeney, another senior captain, will patrol center field for the Black Knights and hit from the leadoff spot. Queeney’s speed has been on display on both the basketball court and football field, so his legs could cause some damage on the base paths. Senior captain Brandon Mantilla-Mercado will take care of the pitching staff this year as the starting catcher and will bring some power to the plate offensively. Junior infielder Anthony Tilton has impressed early and figures to be a top bat in the lineup, juniors Jonah Ly and James Price will both see innings in the infield and on the mound, and junior Brad Franey is slated to take over at second. Seniors Joe McNulty, Colby Andrews, Andrew Scardina, and junior Colin Alessi provide lineup depth. Freshmen Hunter Malkin and Ben Zola will likely make an immediate impact for Stoughton.

“The kids are excited to play baseball,” Armour said. “They have brought a positive attitude and willingness to work to practice, which is all I can ask for as a coach. We are excited to get a little bit better every day, and put ourselves in a position to win some ballgames this season.”

Taunton

2019 Record: 21-7
2019 Finish: Won Div. 1 State Championship
Coach: Blair Bourque

It seems like just yesterday the Tigers were celebrating their Division 1 State Championship at LeLacheur Park in Lowell. Yet at the same time, it somehow also feels like a lifetime ago.

2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

The Tigers are one of the teams that will “what if” when it comes to the 2019 season, as they were set to have eight starters back to try and defend their first-ever state championship. Now for the 2021 season, there is just one Tiger starter back from that regular season. That is senior pitcher/infielder Danny MacDougall, who will anchor the pitching staff and also return to his shortstop position. Ty Cali, who took over for MacDougall after an injury sidelined him for the postseason, is also back to give Taunton a solid 1-2 punch up the middle of the field. Cali can also slide over and play short when MacDougall, who is committed to playing at the University of Hartford next year, is on the mound.

Sophomore Ryan MacDougall is set to finally make his varsity debut this year. A verbal commit to the University of Dayton, Ryan MacDougall was on the playoff roster for the state championship team as an eighth-grader. Not only does he bring a big bat and power to the lineup, head coach Blair Bourque described his plate discipline as “well beyond his years.” If the Tigers want to compete at a high level, Bourque noted the importance of senior pitchers Conor Quinlan, Bretton Heggs, and Matthew Ferrara. In total, Taunton boasts a dozen seniors on the roster.

“My expectation for this season is for us to compete as a team and individually every day as best we can, but ultimately, I will be grateful I get to spend time on the field with my players,” Bourque said. “It is always about the relationships formed with your players throughout the course of a year, you don’t always appreciate how good you have it until it’s gone. Losing last season really made me appreciate my role as the head coach for the Taunton High baseball program.”

2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/07/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Franklin, 7 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Franklin’s offense scored in four of the seven innings, including three in the seventh to put the game away. Senior Jake Fitzgibbons drove in a pair of runs for the visiting Panthers while both Brian Gerety and Chris Goode had a hit and scored a pair of runs. Junior lefty Jacob Jette was stellar on the mound, scattering three hits and one walk across five shutout innings, striking out nine for the win. Foxboro’s Sean Yoest had a strong overall day, allowing just one earned run (three runs total) on two hits and three walks in four innings, striking out four. At the plate, Yoest had a hit, a walk, and a run scored. Jack Watts knocked in Yoest for Foxboro’s lone run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

King Philip, 2 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro scored all of its runs within the first three innings and senior right-handed pitcher Dennis Colleran took care of the rest as the Rocketeers opened the season with a win over visiting King Philip. The Big Red scored twice in the bottom of the first and tacked on two more in the bottom of the third. King Philip halved the deficit in the top of the third with an unearned run and added another run in the sixth. Colleran scattered three hits over six innings, striking out 10 to earn the win. Danny Curran earned the save, striking out two. North senior Justin Vecchiarelli went 2-3 with four RBI in the win.

Mansfield, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Mansfield scored a single run in three straight innings and went on the road to pick up a win at Frothingham Park. A walk, a wild pitch, and a grounder gave the Hornets the lead in the third inning and Mansfield doubled its lead on a sacrifice fly in the fourth. OA loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth, but Hornet starter Anthony Sacchetti (6IP, 3H, 1BB, 7K) escaped the jam without any harm done. Mansfield tacked on an insurance run in the top of the fifth inning. Sacchetti, Luke Urban, and Jack Colby (run, two walks) each drove in a run for Mansfield. OA’s Christian Papasodero (2.1 IP, 0R 3K) pitched well in relief for the Tigers, getting out of a bases loaded jam.




Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 12 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. OA held Attleboro scoreless in the second half and used four goals from Remi Creighton to pull out their first win of the season. The Bombardiers opened the scoring off a turnover that Keigan Conley finished from close range. OA tied it three minutes later on a shot by Wes Tower. Michael Strachan assisted on a Carter Shelton goal to put Attleboro back in front but Wyatt Frichtman fired OA level from distance. OA grabbed the lead with four straight goals to start the second. Creighton scored back-to-back goals and then assisted on one by Doug Oliveira. Tower got his second of the day to put the Tigers up 6-2. Attleboro scored three times in a span of 40 seconds to get back within one at halftime. Shelton scored on a Conley assist and then Conley added his second of the day. Ryan Betts set up Matt Perry to make it 6-5. It took nearly seven minutes of the third quarter before OA doubled its lead when Ben Reardon found Oliveira in front. Creighton and Frichtman also scored in the third, the last one with 35.8 on the clock, and OA went into the fourth up 9-5. The Tigers put the game away with three more goals. Reardon got the first of his career with a redirect of a pass by Ross Carroll then Creighton added his fourth before Carroll wrapped up the scoring off a pass by Oliveira. Noah Isleib had a big game in goal for the Tigers to help preserve the lead.

Milford, 4 @ Foxboro, 17 – Final

King Philip @ Stoughton, 3:45

Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 3 @ King Philip, 17 – Final – Six different players found the back of the net as King Philip rolled on its home turf to a win over visiting Canton. Julia Marsden (two assists), Lily Brown (one assist), and Haley Izydorczak led the offensive charge for the hosts with four goals apiece. Morgan Cunningham (assist) added a hat trick while Peyton Mellman and Alyssa Legere each scored once. Emily Campbell made nine saves in net in the win.

Attleboro, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 14 – Final

Milford, 2 @ Foxboro, 18 – Final




Boys Outdoor Track
Mansfield, 85 @ Attleboro, 47, Final – It was a day to remember for Jake Wall, who etched his name in the record books at Mansfield High in the Hornets’ win over Attleboro. Wall won four events and set the school record in the long jump at 22’11”. Wall also won the 100M (11.0), 200M (22.9), and the triple jump (44’5″). Mansfield swept both relay events and Trevor Flint had a great finishing kick to win the 2 Mile race in 10:28 for the Hornets. Other first-place finishes included Evan Rawlings (400IH, 64.3), Caden Riley (400M, 53.4), Dylan Buchanan (110HH, 15.9), Dana Johnson (high jump, 5’6″), and Jack Taylor (javelin, 157’5″). Mansfield’s winning 4×100 team (46.9) consisted of DaSean Peters-Wolfe, Isaiah Kinds, Ryan Munroe, and Dylan Buchanan while the first-place 4×400 team (3:44.7) was Stephen Saba, Caden Riley, Tim Corkery, and Jack Taylor.

King Philip @ Franklin, 3:45

Stoughton @ North Attleboro, 3:45

Taunton @ Milford, 4:00

Girls Outdoor Track
Mansfield, 93 @ Attleboro, 43 – Final – Mansfield took first place in 12 events to open the season with a convincing win over Attleboro. Anna Buckley was a double winner for the visitors, taking first in both the high jump (4’8″) and the long jump (16’0″), adding a second place finish in the 100M hurdles (17.8). Other winners for Mansfield included Elyssa Buchanan (400M hurdles, 75.6), Colleen Waters & Meghan Driscoll (100M tie, 13.1), Katie Miller (1 Mile, 5:52), Anna Darlington (400M, 61.8), Norah Puleo (800M 2:29.7), Tessa Lancaster (2 Mile, 12:17), Caitlin Haley (triple jump, 33’2.5″), and Alissa Cooke (discus, 68’6.5″). Mansfield also won both relays with the 4×100 (Scott, Driscoll, Penney, Waters) winning in 51.25 and the 4×400 (Darlington, N.Puleo, McIntryre, K. Miller) finished in 4:26.7. Attleboro’s Kamsi Igbobi won both the 100M hurdles (17.6) and the shot put (33’8.25″), Elayna Marinelli took first in the javelin (91-6), and Cassondra Stuger crossed first in the 200 (27.3).

King Philip @ Franklin, 3:45

Stoughton @ North Attleboro, 3:45

Taunton @ Milford, 4:00

Wrestling
King Philip @ Canton, 5:30

Boys Volleyball
King Philip @ Milford, 5:00

Taunton, 3 @ New Bedford, 1 – Final – Taunton rallied from a one-set deficit to win three in and row and grab a win in its first match of the season, 3-1 (23-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-20). Senior Tyler Stewart paced the offense with 12 kills and four blocks while Jakob Thorpe added eight kills, six digs, three blocks, and two aces. Daniel Medina dished out 25 assists and Travis Nunes registered 12 digs and an ace.

2021 Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars

Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

Kelley-Rex Division MVP

Matt Boen, Mansfield

Kelley-Rex Division All Stars

Justin Daniels, Attleboro
Declan Walmsley, Franklin
Will Laplante, King Philip
Matt Boen, Mansfield
Jack Colby, Mansfield
Matt Hyland, Mansfield
Jordan Darling, Milford
Trent Santos, Taunton
Tyler Stewart, Taunton

Davenport Division Co-MVPs

Amari Brown, Oliver Ames
George Ladd, North Attleboro

Davenport Division All Stars

Ryan Connerney, Canton
Dylan Gordon, Foxboro
Alex Penders, Foxboro
George Ladd, North Attleboro
Brody Rosenberg, North Attleboro
Amari Brown, Oliver Ames
Drew Baxter, Oliver Ames
KC Ugwuakazi, Stoughton
Matt Baskin, Sharon

Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. 2021 Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars

Mansfield Doesn’t Miss a Beat, Rolls Past Franklin

Mansfield Football
Mansfield senior Nico Holmes was fired up after making a tackle in the season-opening win against Franklin at Alumni Field. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


MANSFIELD, Mass. – It had been 15 months since Mansfield last walked off the field, at Gillette Stadium, holding the 2019 Div. 2 state championship trophy. When the lights came on for Friday night’s Fall II season opener at Alumni Field, the Hornets showed no rust after such a long layoff and, in fact, it looked like they hadn’t missed a beat.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Mansfield scored after just three plays, had six first half touchdowns, half of them by senior running back Cincere Gill, scored twice on defense, and rolled to a 49-7 victory against Franklin.

“It’s been a long, long wait,” said Mansfield coach Mike Redding. “All fall everybody just held their breath that we maybe would get a chance to play and it was almost surreal you walk out here and it’s 60 degrees on a Friday night and it felt like September.

“Lights go on, it’s Friday night, we don’t care what month it is, it felt like Friday night lights.”

It took no time for the Hornets to show how dynamic they can be on offense. Gill (167 total yards) proved to be unstoppable, going for 21 yards on the first play and 34 on the second to get the Hornets down to the Franklin six. On the next play, Nico Holmes (81 total yards) bullied his way into the end zone and James Gilleran added one of his seven extra points for an early 7-0 lead.

On its next possession, Mansfield showed different facets of its offense. Matt Boen, who Redding said was playing quarterback for the first time since seventh grade, hit Gill for 19 yards and Anthony Comer (81 total yards) took a draw for 17. After Gill missed Boen on a deep pass, he took the next snap right up the middle and raced for a 52-yard score.

“Everybody thinks they run a 4.3…and when you get out there and see a real 4.3, 4.4 kid, you know it,” said Franklin coach Eian Bain about Gill. “Super talented and you combine that with the beef that they have, you know, a lot of times we sort of pride ourselves on having speed and that’s maybe our neutralizer and tonight it wasn’t. They had the best of both worlds.”

Not to be outdone, the Mansfield defense got into the act. On a second and 11 play, the Hornets blew up and attempted screen pass and Sean Weber got a hand on Jared Arone’s attempted pass. The ball fell to Rocco Scarpellini, who took the interception 25 yards for a touchdown.

Despite trailing 21-0, Franklin’s offense was finding some success in the passing game. Arone (21-of-32, 193 yards), a first-year starter, connected with Shane Kindred nine times and with Jake O’Brien six times. On their third possession, the Panthers were able to finish a drive.

Arone hit O’Brien for 20 yards out near midfield. After getting into Mansfield territory, Franklin faced a fourth and one. A well-executed roll-out screen pass to Kindred gained eight yards and kept the drive going. A screen pass to Mack Gulla put the Panthers in the red zone and on the next play Will Tracey went up and got a pass at the front pylon for a 19-yard touchdown.

The momentum was short-lived because the Hornets just had too much on offense. CJ Bell’s return gave Mansfield good starting field position and Boen fired a pass to Comer for 33 yards down to the Franklin 14. After a low snap pushed the Hornets back a few yards, Boen threw a perfect pass to hit Holmes on the wheel route for a 17-yard score and a 28-7 lead.

A fumble recovery handed Mansfield back the ball at its own 45 and the Hornets made quick work of the short field. Boen hit tight end Everett Knowlton on the run for 34 yards and, after a holding call, followed it with an 11-yard keeper. Gill got the hand off, went straight up the middle, and made a quick cut to the right, walking in untouched with a 20-yard TD.

Mansfield forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at its 33. Jake Wall took a jet sweep to the left and rushed for 20 yards into Franklin territory. Comer had a pair of carries to get the ball to the five. Gill got the call. He started left towards the Mansfield sideline but was blocked off, turned back and reversed around to the far side, found a tiny seam, and cut it upfield to find pay dirt for a third time.

“I think everyone was worried about such a long layoff that we’d be sloppy but we’ve got a lot of experience back,” Redding explained. “We executed and then when we didn’t execute you give the ball to Cincere and he runs to daylight. He makes a lot of bad plays look good.”

Jack Colby tacked on a second defensive touchdown when he picked off a pass right in front of his bench and ran it back 35 yards. Caden Colby added Mansfield’s third interception in the fourth quarter.

After reaching the Div. 1 South final last year, Franklin graduated all of its starting skill position players. Many of the Panthers were seeing their first significant varsity minutes and getting that experience against the league’s top team.

“It was a learning curve, but we knew what we were getting,” Bain admitted. “Yes, they are really, really good. I told my guys, TJ Guy is going to play on Sunday, there’s not a doubt in my mind…but a lot of it was just little details in our assignments, our techniques, in our eyes, and little things I think we can correct. A lot of things we had to work out of our system tonight.”

Redding acknowledged the advantage Mansfield has in terms of offensive firepower. He said, “Cincere and Anthony are just so explosive. We didn’t get the ball to Jake Wall but he can fly. Everett is a good tight end, Nico can get tough yards up inside. We’re not a typical high school football team in terms of skill and then the front five up front blocking are very, very good.”

Mansfield (1-0) will be on the road next week to face Milford for the first time. Franklin (0-1) will be on the road again when it travels to Taunton.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 03/12/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Foxboro, 49 @ Sharon, 7 – Final
1st Quarter: (F) Omarion Otto-Broomstein 1-yard rush, Sam Carpenter XP good. (F) Cam Prescott 42-yard pass to Luis Sulham, S. Carpenter XP good. (F) Dylan Gordon 48-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) Chris McNamara 1-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good. (F) C. Prescott 29-yard pass to James Kraus, S. Carpenter XP good. (F) L. Sulham 65-yard punt return, S. Carpenter XP good.
3rd Quarter: (S) Nico Marrero 3-yard rush, Molly McAlevey XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) Jack Austin 65-yard pass to Joseph Gonzalez, XP good.

Franklin, 7 @ Mansfield, 49 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (M) Nico Holmes 6-yard rush, James Gilleran XP good; (M) Cincere Gill 52-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good; (M) Rocco Scarpellini 25-yard interception return, J. Gilleran XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) Jared Arone 19-yard pass to Will Tracey, Parker Cheuvront XP good; (M) Matt Boen 17-yard pass to N. Holmes, J Gilleran XP good; (M) C. Gill 20-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good; (M) C. Gill 5-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) Jack Colby 35-yard interception return; J. Gilleran XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Taunton, 6 @ King Philip, 21 – Final

Oliver Ames, 7 @ Stoughton, 29 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (S) Safety.
2nd Quarter: (S) Christian Georges 28-yard rush, Jonah Ly XP good; (S) Christopher Ais 51-yard rush, J. Ly XP good; (S) Anthony Girolamo 7-yard rush, J. Ly XP good.
3rd Quarter: (S) Christian Ais 1-yard rush, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (OA) Jake Grimaldi 27-yard pass to Pete Bosader, Drew Nickla XP good.

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/18/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 57 @ Taunton, 76 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Mansfield, 81 vs. Brookline, 62 – Final – Mansfield senior Matt Boen put a bow on his senior year, registering a triple-double in his final game to help the Hornets end with a win. Boen scored a game-high 27 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists while Brian See (13 points), Matt Hyland (12 points, seven assists, eight rebounds), and Brendan Foley (10 points) each scored in double figures. Jack Colby added seven points and eight boards in the win.

Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 47 @ North Attleboro, 27 – Final – The Bombardiers closed out the season with a sweep of North Attleboro and their ninth win of the season. It was a strong defensive performance from Attleboro, which held North to just six points in the second and third quarters combined to build a 16-point lead heading to the fourth. Meghan Gordon had another double-double for the visitors, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the win. Emma Reilly had nine, Hailey Perry had eight, and Narissa Smith had seven points for the Bombardiers. “Great way to wrap up our season,” said Attleboro coach Marty Crowley. “So grateful to have had this opportunity to compete.” Amanda Kaiser closed out her North career with a team-high nine points and classmate Lydia Santos added seven.

Girls Hockey
King Philip, 0 vs. St. Mary’s (Lynn), 1 – Final

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/17/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
North Attleboro, 61 @ Foxboro, 53 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Sharon, 50 @ Milford, 62 – Final – Six players in a game-changing second quarter as Milford turned a close game into a comfortable lead that it never relinquished. The Hawks had a 10-6 lead after eight minutes before exploding for 24 points in the second quarter with Ben Blanchard scoring seven of his 13 points and Jordan Darling netting seven of his 16 points to help Milford get the win. Wes Solomon and Max Martin each connected from three-point range while Ralph Franklin Jr. and Brady Olson each scored in the second to give the Hawks a 34-15 lead at halftime. Blanchard added two more threes and Darling connected from three in the third as Milford carried a 48-35 lead into the fourth quarter. Sharon had 10 players get into the scoring column as Rohan Prakash came off the bench to tie for a team-high eight points.

Stoughton, 53 @ Oliver Ames, 62 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Oliver Ames overcame a double-digit halftime deficit to pick up a win over Stoughton, clinching sole possession of the Davenport division title. The Black Knights had a great start, putting up 17 points in the first quarter and 19 more in the second to build a 36-26 lead at halftime. But OA’s defense limited the visitors to 13 points in the third and just four in the fourth, and on the offensive end the Tigers cashed in on 23 offensive rebounds to get the win. OA exploded for 26 points in the third to take a 52-49 lead into the fourth. With points hard to come by in the fourth, Stoughton got possession back down 56-53 with 1:35 to play but an issue with the official book resulted in a technical foul on the Black Knights. OA sank both free throws, snapping a 3:30 scoreless drought. OA got a big stop and Amari Brown (23 points) scored in transition to ice the win. Drew Nickla (16 points, 11 rebounds) was the catalyst behind the offensive rebounding surge while Drew Baxter added nine points and six rebounds and Will Whiteside had seven points and 14 rebounds. Stoughton junior KC Ugwuakazi had 16 points and eight rebounds while senior Waseem Sablon added 13 points.

Taunton, 59 @ Attleboro, 56 – Final – Taunton got just enough stops down the stretch, including a go-ahead three-point attempt from Attleboro with five seconds to go, to earn the win on the road and keep its division title hopes alive. Senior Tyler Stewart scored six of his 20 points in the final frame and junior Tristan Herry hit a huge three with just over four minutes to go to put the visitors up 56-54. Attleboro tied the game off a Taunton turnover with senior Justin Daniels, who scored a career-high 29 points, converted a layup with three minutes to go. Stewart put Taunton ahead with a free throw and the Tigers blanked the Bombardiers the rest of the way. Junior Trent Santos added 13 points and junior Faisal Mass had 11 points in the win for the Tigers. Evan Houle and Alec Eaton chipped in with nine points apiece for Attleboro.

Mansfield, 74 vs. Lowell Catholic, 57 – Final – Holding a six-point lead at halftime, Mansfield dropped 21 points in the third quarter to turn its advantage into 57-42 going into the final quarter. Brendan Foley, Jack Colby, and Matt Hyland all hit from three-point range and had five points apiece in the third to help the Hornets pull away for the win. Senior Matt Boen led the offensive charge with 20 points along with nine assists and six rebounds. Hyland finished with a career-high 17 points an eight assists while Foley had 12 points and Colby chipped in with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Girls Basketball
Oliver Ames, 63 @ Stoughton, 15 – Final – Oliver Ames completed a perfect 10-0 season with a win on the road over Stoughton. Caroline Peper led the balanced scoring attack for the Tigers with 12 points while Kelsey Yelle added 10 points and Caroline Flynn chipped in wit nine points. Freshman Jasmyn Cooper finished with eight boards in the win.

Boys Hockey
Foxboro, 5 @ North Attleboro, 6 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Hornets Clinch Division Title, Celebrate Boen’s Milestone

Mansfield boys basketball Matt Boen
Mansfield senior Matt Boen goes up for a layup in the second half against Taunton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Mansfield boys basketball team had plenty to celebrate on Monday night after clinching at least a share of the program’s ninth straight Kelley-Rex division title while senior Matt Boen scored his 1,000th career point in the process.

But neither accomplishment came very easily.

After suffering their first loss of the season to Taunton on Sunday afternoon, the Hornets found themselves in close to a must-win situation against the Tigers if they wanted to extend their impressive reign atop the Hockomock League.

Mansfield boys basketball Matt Boen

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

And after Boen dropped 31 points on Sunday, the senior guard attracted plenty of attention from the Taunton defense. That defense coupled with the pressure and nerves of nearing the milestone resulted in just two points through three quarters of play.

But all’s well that ends well as the Hornets put the game to bed with a dominant fourth quarter, limiting the visitors to just three total points over the first six minutes of the final frame to pull away. Boen got going as well, and the Tigers did their part in making sure the senior guard reached the milestone in front of family and friends by intentionally fouling twice in the final minute.

Boen got a kind roll off the front of the rim on a free throw with 15.2 seconds to go to hit the millennium mark, the final touch to a 68-53 win for the Hornets.

“I talked to Coach Vaughan and told him that the first thing I wanted to do was cut down the nets [for a league title] and then focus on getting my name on the banner,” Boen said. “To get them both done on the same night is even better.”










Boen finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, sophomore Chris Hill (18 points), junior Matt Hyland (15 points), and senior Brendan Foley (14 points) each recorded career-highs in scoring.

Mansfield boys basketball Matt Boen

“When’s the last time we won one without a Boen, that’s the big question,” asked Mansfield head coach Mike Vaughan. Michael Boen was apart of three straight from 2013-2015 while Max Boen won three as well (2015-2017). Matt has been apart of the past four teams that have raised a banner.

“Taunton played great last night, they gave us everything we could handle,” Vaughan continued. “Tonight I thought we did a much better job rebounding the ball which I think was the difference in the game. We made some plays when we needed to. Matty was off a little bit with the pressure but he was able to find other ways to help us.”


Mansfield came out with more zest in this contest compared to just over 24 hours before when Taunton dictated play with its energy. Even though Taunton held a slim lead at the end of the first quarter (13-12) and used a late bucket to tie things at halftime (29-29), it never felt like the Tigers had real control of the game.

The Hornets threatened to pull away in the third, getting key contributions from the rest of the roster as Boen tried to find his rhythm. Foley (six rebounds) had five points, including a three, and Hill (six rebounds) was responsible for four more as Mansfield rattled off a 9-0 run for a 42-33 lead.

Taunton did its best to hang around with senior Tyler Stewart (9 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) fighting through a double team for two only for Hyland (five rebounds, five assists) to answer with a three-point play on the other end. Ryan Sullivan (15 points, six rebounds) drained a three and Josh Lopes dropped in a floater to get the Tigers back within five at the end of the third, 45-40, but that would be as close as the visitors would get the rest of the way.




“It was everything, we were a half step slow tonight,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey. “We won the 50-50s yesterday and they won the 50-50s today. It just started mounting up, our kids were dead tired. But you have to play through it, they are no less tired than [Mansfield], they played the same game yesterday. We just got too deflated too early. Things weren’t going our way and you could see it in their body language. Our outside shots weren’t falling and then Tyler’s in foul trouble…it just snowballed.

Mansfield boys basketball Matt Boen

“Last night it was Boen, Boen, Boen, and tonight the other guys stepped up. They have their ball movement and all of a sudden it’s flying around and we’re late on a close-out or behind on a cut, two points here, two points there.”

Foley opened the fourth with back-to-back confident, strong takes to the rim and Boen picked up just his second field goal of the game to push the lead to two possessions. Boen hit two from the line before Taunton finally snapped the scoreless drought, Stewart alertly finding Faisal Mass (16 points, nine rebounds) for two down low. But the Tigers couldn’t get a stop as Foley once again found success driving to the rim.

Stewart added one from the line but Jack Colby responded with a nice take and, after an offensive foul took gave Stewart his fifth foul, Foley came down with a dagger three to make it 60-43 with just under two minutes to go.

“Just the commitment the guys make year in and year out, we never rebuild we just keep reloading with new guys and new faces,” Vaughan said. “What about Jack’s play the last couple of weeks? What about Foley’s play today, it was tremendous. Chris Hill is no longer a sophomore after today’s game, he really came out and battled and played really well. We told him in our film session we needed him to be better and that’s a lot of pressure for a sophomore but he stepped up to the plate. Matty Hyland’s been super consistent all year, he had some big baskets tonight. I couldn’t be prouder of the guys.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Hornets wasted little time getting Hill going in the first quarter as he took a shot on four of Mansfield’s first six possessions with seven points. Meanwhile, Taunton had five players get on the scoring sheet in the opening eight minutes with Mass hitting a corner three late to give the visitors a 13-12 lead.

Hyland and Hill had early triples for the Hornets and then scored back-to-back at the rim to keep the Hornets ahead. Santos answered with three and Lopes attacked the basket for two but Brian See drained a key three and Hyland took a charge to get the Hornets the ball back. Hyland scored on the other end but five straight from the Tigers — two from the line from Santos and a traditional three-point play by Mass — brought the visitors level by halftime.

Mansfield (9-1 Kelley-Rex, 13-1 overall) will host Lowell Catholic on Wednesday night at 6:30. Taunton (6-1, 6-1) will try to bounce back when it travels to Attleboro on Wednesday at 12:00.

Mansfield boys basketball Matt Boen

Taunton Rides Strong Start, Finish Past Mansfield

Taunton boys basketball Josh Lopes
Taunton senior Josh Lopes goes up for a layup in the second half against Mansfield. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 TAUNTON, Mass. – Having to play Mansfield, the standard-bearer of the Hockomock League over the past decade, is a big challenge in and of itself.

And on top of that, the Taunton boys basketball team had just one practice to prepare following a one-week layoff.

The Tigers overcame both obstacles, alleviating any fears of rust with a strong start that set the tone for the rest of the way in a 72-66 win over the visiting Hornets.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The win marked Taunton’s first win over Mansfield since January 2016, snapping a 10-game skid.

“I was really afraid of the rust factor, I was exactly afraid of a slow start,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey.

But Dacey’s fears were quickly erased as the Tigers opened the game with their best offensive quarter of the game (21 points) to establish a lead that they only relinquished once, and briefly, in the third quarter.

“Shaking [any rust] right away was huge, they didn’t lose any confidence,” Dacey said after his side his half of their 16 shots from the field in the first eight minutes. “Having an experienced group helps with that. We’re running some stuff but [Mansfield] knows it, they’re taking away what we have so we’re adjusting on the fly. The kids did some self-adjusting on the floor which is real important.”

Taunton extended its lead to 38-29 by halftime but Mansfield came out with a renewed energy to start the second half and slowly chipped away at the lead. A big three from sophomore Chris Hill (13 points, 5 rebounds) finally made a real dent in Taunton’s lead, and then Matt Boen (31 points) and Hill scored back-to-back to make it a three-point game, down 47-44.










“I think a lot of it when there were some 50-50 balls, Taunton wanted it a little bit more,” offered Mansfield head coach Mike Vaughan. “I bet when the stats come out, they probably won more 50-50 balls by a two-to-one margin. We talked at halftime if you don’t win those battles against a good quality basketball team, 90% of the time you lose and this was 90% of the time. Game for game, the stat lines look good. We did some good things, they did some good things, we both hit shots. It was really two high-quality teams that were well prepared.

“We thought in the third quarter and early in the fourth, they might be running out of gas a little bit but they found extra energy and made some plays down the stretch and took care of business.”

Hill had a strong take to his left for two with just under two minutes to go in the third and the Hornets grabbed their first lead of the game when Boen hit one of his four threes for a 49-47 lead. It was a momentum swing that has forced many Hockomock foes to fold in the past, but Taunton was able to recover before the end of the quarter.

The Tigers broke the press and junior Trent Santos (22 points, seven assists, six rebounds) found Nigel Choate wide open with a nice pass underneath for two to tie it back up. Tyler Stewart (12 points, 22 rebounds, 5 blocks) converted down low and Josh Lopes (13 points, 4 assists) added two more as Taunton took a 53-52 lead into the final quarter.

“They maintain their confidence in those moments and they have a good chemistry together,” Dacey said. “They believe in each other and trust each other and that’s really important in high school basketball.




The teams took turns landing jabs in the final quarter, each time Taunton scored to extend its lead, the Hornets had an answer to keep it close. Stewart added two from the line and junior Tristan Herry (eight points, six assists, two steals) hit a three late in the shot clock only for Mansfield senior Brendan Foley to answer with back-to-back strong takes to the rim.

“Stewart has a major impact inside, whether it’s a post touch, an offensive rebound, keeping a ball alive, or just the amount of energy we have to focus on him leaves some other guys open,” Vaughan said. “I’ve said it in the past about our teams, when you get a fourth or fifth guy stepping up making some critical play in a huge game, that sometimes separates you.

“[Herry] hitting the three at the top…we doubled the post, we did everything we wanted, we rotated off what we mark as not their top shooter and he hits a three. When you get stuff like that…Taunton is a very talented deep team with a lot of pieces that can cause matchup problems all over the place.”

Santos took advantage of a steal and scored in transition, and after a Mansfield miss, Herry linked up with Santos for a big three. Herry then found Faisal Mass (13 points, eight rebounds) in good position down low for two and the Tigers had a 65-57 lead at the halfway point of the final quarter.

Jack Colby (11 points, five rebounds) answered with two from the line for the Hornets and Foley came up with a steal and assist, finding Boen for two in transition to cut it back to for. After a Taunton miss, Boen sank a pull up jumper and it was back to a two-point game.

Santos floated a perfectly weighted entry pass to Stewart down low for an easy two. With time ticking away, the Hornets elected to foul Mass to send him to the line for one-and-one. Mass hit the first to push the lead to 68-63 with 1:16 to play.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Unsurprisingly, the Hornets once again had an answer as Boen took a handoff from Colby and drained an off-balance three to make it 68-66. Mansfield continued to press but the hosts passed through it, Herry finding Santos at half court who skipped a pass to Mass for a layup.

Taunton got a stop on a missed three but Mansfield appeared to have the offensive rebound. Instead of getting a second look, Herry came swooping in and knocked the ball free to get Taunton the ball back. Three passes later, Santos had an open layup to make it 72-66 with 20 seconds to go.

The teams won’t have to wait long to renew acquaintances as Taunton boys basketball (6-0 Kelley-Rex, 6-0 overall) travels to Mansfield (8-1, 12-1) on Monday at 6:15.