Tag: Jake Grimaldi

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/18/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 57 @ Mansfield, 64 – Final – Propelled by a strong first quarter (21 points) and a pivotal third quarter (18-4), Mansfield held off a strong fourth quarter from Attleboro to finish league play with a win. Matt Hyland got the Hornets off to a strong start with half of his team-high 16 points in the opening eight minutes and five other Mansfield players got into the scoring column, including threes from Andrew Slaney (12 points) and Chris Hill (12 points) for an early 21-13 lead. Colin Morais (17 points), Jaiden Outland, Neo Franco, and Jake Struminski each hit a three in the second but Dante James had one for Mansfield and Anthony Sacchetti had six points to help the Hornets ahead at the break (39-30). Hyland had another eight points in the third and Slaney added a pair of triples while the Hornets held the Bombardiers to just four points to break the game wide open, taking a 57-34 lead into the fourth. Attleboro made a late push with Morais, Outland, and Franco hitting fourth quarter threes to get the deficit down to single digits.

Foxboro, 51 @ Canton, 47 – Final – Canton continually cut into Foxboro’s lead throughout the game, eventually pulling even with the Warriors but it was senior Dylan Gordon who converted the go-ahead layup and then sank a pair of free throws in the final seconds to ice the win. Junior Alex Penders (12 points), Ryan LeClair (seven points), and Sam Golub (six points) helped Foxboro build leads after the first (12-5) and second quarters (22-18). Lanse Dorcelus hit on three of his four threes in the second and both Matt Chafin and Nate Mei added one each to close the gap by halftime. Chafin and Ashton Cetoute hit from downtown in the third as the Bulldogs made it 36-36 going into the fourth. Gordon finished with 15 of his 17 points in the second half, his lone field goal of the fourth being the go-ahead bucket followed by two free throws. Cam Barreira, fresh off his best shooting performance of the season in a win at Stoughton, came through with a pair of clutch threes in the fourth.

Franklin, 75 @ King Philip, 50 – Final – Franklin’s offense roared to life in the opening half, putting up 21 points in the opening quarter and then 25 more in the second on its way to a big win over King Philip. Sophomore Andrew O’Neil hit five three-pointers, three in the first half, to spark the Panthers’ offense. O’Neill finished with a team-high 21 points while senior Sean Vinson scored all 19 of his points in the first half. King Philip cut into the deficit by winning the third quarter (16-9) with senior Braeden Sottile dropping half of his team-high 20 points in the quarter. But Franklin’s offense got back on track with 22 points in the fourth, with O’Neill adding two more threes and both Evan DaSilva and Caden Sullivan connecting from downtown.

Milford, 48 @ Taunton, 68 – Final – Taunton only led by two possessions going into the fourth quarter (49-43) but the Tigers took care of business in the final eight minutes, running away with a win to clinch the Kelley-Rex division title outright for the first team in program history. Senior Trent Santos hit four of his six three-pointers after halftime and finished with a game-high 26 points to lead the charge. Faisal Mass added 15 points in the win. Milford freshman Andrew Rivera hit a trio of threes and finished with a team-best 23 points.

North Attleboro, 46 @ Oliver Ames, 63 – Final – North Attleboro came out of the gates with 16 points in the first quarter and only trailed by two possessions at halftime but a switch to zone defense from Oliver Ames stalled the Rocketeers’ offense and the Tigers pulled away to finish their regular season with a win. OA held a 30-24 lead at halftime and then got a balanced scoring attack in the third to double its lead from six to 12, carrying a 44-32 lead into the fourth. Drew Baxter had four of his 10 points in the third, MJ Jean Baptiste and Zach Tagliamonte (10 points) each had three, and Dan Reily and Jake Grimaldi each chipped in with a bucket. CJ Williams finished with a team-high 11 points for OA, who had 10 players factor into the scoring. Brody Rosenberg hit a trio of threes to lead North with 13 points, Gavin Wells also had a three trifectas for 11 points and Casey Poirier scored 10 first half points for the Big Red.

Sharon, 65 @ Stoughton, 61 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.










Girls Basketball
Mansfield, 52 @ Attleboro, 58 – Final – Lindsey Perry scored a game-high 16 points, including 12 in the second half, to help the Bombardiers pull out a win and sweep the season series against the Hornets. Mansfield scored 18 in the first, including eight from Anna Darlington, to take a five-point lead after one, but Attleboro stormed back with a 15-8 second to take a two-point lead into the locker room. Vanessa Ellis, Rylie Camacho, and Meghan Gordon combined for 13 in the quarter. Perry and Gordon combined for 13 points in the third, as the Bombardiers extended the lead to six after three, which they were able to hold onto over the final eight minutes. Perry scored six points in the fourth, including 4-of-6 from the free throw line. Gordon finished with 11 points and Ellis and Camacho each scored 10. Abby Wager led the Hornets with 15, including nine points in the third quarter alone, while Darlington finished with 10. Olivia Salisbury chipped in with eight points for the Hornets.

Canton, 44 @ Foxboro, 49 – Final – Seven Warriors were on the score sheet as they held off Canton to sweep the season series with the bulldogs. Kailey Sullivan was the top scorer for the home team with 14 point and Erin Foley added 11. Ava Hill went 6-for-6 from the line to help Foxboro seal the win.

King Philip, 24 @ Franklin, 49 – Final – KP led 10-8 after the first quarter but Franklin held the Warriors to only 14 points over the final 24 minutes to finish the league campaign unbeaten for the third straight season. The Panthers took the second quarter 11-2 and outscored KP 30-12 in the second half for their 42nd straight league win. Olivia Quinn led the way for the Panthers with 13 points, including nine in the second quarter, and went 6-for-6 from the line. Stefany Padula hit a pair of threes and scored eight points, Brigid Earley had seven, and Katie Peterson added six points for Franklin. Liv Lafond was KP’s leading scorer with eight points, Leah Santoro had six, and Emily Sawyer and Jordan Bennett each scored four points in the loss.

Taunton, 37 @ Milford, 54 – Final – Without the league’s leading scorer, Kameron St. Pierre, Taunton struggled offensively early and the Hawks took advantage to pull out a win in their final league game of the season, splitting the seasons series. Milford jumped ahead 14-3 after the first and extended the lead to 14 by halftime. Maddalena Mannucci Pacini scored eight of her game-high 15 points in the first half for Milford. Taunton took the third quarter to slice into the Milford lead, but then the Hawks exploded for 24 points in the fourth, led by Brooke Ferreira’s nine, to seal the win. Ferreira finished with 12 and Jill Araujo added a dozen as well. Cali Melo led Taunton with 10 points and Jillian Doherty added nine, all 19 of their combined points coming in the second half. Lex Haywood chipped in with five.

Oliver Ames, 78 @ North Attleboro, 33 – Final – OA closed out the league campaign with a big road win. The Tigers jumped out to a big lead early in the game and seemed to have an answer for every defensive switch that North threw at them. Senior Caroline Peper exploded for a game-high 24 points and the Tigers got a big boost on the offense end with 12 points apiece from a trio of sophomores: Jasmyn Cooper, Sarah Hilliard, and Kaydance Derba. Summer Doherty scored 11 of her team-high 12 points for North and Maryellen Charette added nine.

Stoughton, 44 @ Sharon, 53 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Oliver Ames Downs Canton In Defensive Struggle

Oliver Ames boys basketball Drew Baxter
Oliver Ames senior Drew Baxter goes up for a contested shot in the first half against Canton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 NORTH EASTON, Mass. — First-year Canton head coach Eric MacKinnon didn’t have many complaints about his team’s defensive performance, holding OA under 50 points.

But neither did first-year Oliver Ames head coach Oliver Vil, whose squad was equally as good on the defensive side, leading to a 46-36 win for the Tigers and a season sweep of the Bulldogs.

Despite being held to just four points over the final eight minutes of play, the Tigers didn’t surrender a field goal in the fourth quarter, holding Canton to just six points, all from the free throw line.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“The second half wasn’t our strong suit on the offense end, had a lot of turnovers but the kids grinded it out which was great to see, defensively we worked really hard,” Vil said. “With the Hock, every night is a battle and I think the guys are ready mentally for it. Now we just have to clean up a lot of mental mistakes.”

Canton cut the deficit to eight after back-to-back threes from Matt Chafin (from Lanse Dorcelus) and Nate Mei (from Conor Hunter) and looked to have the momentum going into the break, but a late turnover led to a three-pointer from OA’s Zach Tagliamonte (OA’s only three of the game) just before the buzzer, and the Tigers carried a 31-20 lead into the second half.

“We’ve been really happy with our defense the last four or five games…. but we just can’t score, we can’t make shots when we’re getting them,” MacKinnon said. “And then we’re not getting a ton of good shots. We’re having a tough time getting to the rim.

“We were making more [three-pointers] earlier in the year, so we’re trying to have more balance with getting to the rim, throwing it into the post but we’re just not doing a great job of it. So it just feels like a lot of possessions are flat.”

The Bulldogs once again made a game of it with a 9-2 burst in the third quarter. An early bucket from OA’s CJ Williams extended the hosts’ advantage to 33-20 but Dillon Nguyen converted a tough shot down low, Mei (13 points) converted a turnover into two and then scored again off a nice handoff from Hunter (nine points, eight rebounds, three assists, three blocks).

Tagliamonte answered for OA but Canton came back right away with its fifth three of the game when Mei returned the favor to Hunter, cutting it to six at 35-29.

But that would be the closest the Bulldogs got the rest of the way, and the visitors didn’t hit another triple for the remainder of the game.

Jake Grimaldi hit two free throws, and then found Tagliamonte for a tough two. Sophomore Jefferson Smock came up with a big block on one end and then finished through contact on the other to give OA a 42-30 lead going into the fourth.

Points were hard to come by in the fourth, with Dorcelus and Mei combining for three free throws to cut the deficit to single digits. Drew Baxter made a tough shot after a big rebound from CJ Santos, but both teams went scoreless after that for nearly four minutes.

OA got its second bucket of the quarter when Dan Reilly found Tagliamonte for two to make it 46-35 with just under a minute to go.

Tagliamonte led the way with 13 points, but with defenses zoning on the junior who is among the top scorers in the Hockomock League, Vil was pleased to see other names get it going offensively.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Baxter finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, Grimaldi had nine points and four boards, and both Santos (four rebounds, four assists) and Williams (seven rebounds) had five points apiece.

“With the style we play, it can be anybody that steps up on any given night,” Vil said. “We’ve been fortunate with Zach this year, he’s a sniper that can really pull from anywhere and he’s very good in transition. But he kind of came out of nowhere, a lot of teams are starting to focus on him so we’re starting to see some other guys start to flourish around him which is what we need.”

Oliver Ames boys basketball (6-6 Hockomock, 7-9 overall) is on the road on Tuesday with a big clash at rival Sharon. Canton (4-8, 5-9) returns home to host rival Stoughton on the same night.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/19/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Oliver Ames, 66 @ Southeastern, 67 – Final – Oliver Ames led after each of the first three quarters but Southeastern scored the go-ahead bucket with just over two seconds to play to steal the win from the Tigers. Junior Zach Tagliamonte scored a team-high 25 points for the second straight game to pace the Tigers. Jake Grimaldi chipped in with 17 points and Drew Baxter had 10 for the Tigers.

Stoughton, 72 @ Weymouth, 61 – Final – Deadlocked after three quarters, Stoughton poured in 24 points and get some key stops to secure a win on the road at Weymouth. Freshman Matt Greenspoon hit a big three and added another field goal in the fourth quarter to spark the Black Knights, finishing with 11 points (all in the second half). Senior Connor Andrews scored nine of his team-high 24 points in the final frame and junior Rayan Sablon had 11 of his 19 points in the last frame to help Stoughton get the win.

Girls Basketball
Sharon, 46 @ East Bridgewater, 63 – Final – Jasmine Davis scored 27 points and added 20 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Eagles fell on the road in a non-league game. Rachael Hager chipped in with 12 points for the second straight day.

Stoughton, 35 @ Canton, 60 – Final – Fay Gallery led the way for the Bulldogs with 23 points, including four three-pointers, as Canton extended its win streak to five games. The Bulldogs held a three-point lead after one and extended it to 10 by halftime. The Black Knights stayed within 13 heading to the fourth, but Canton outscored the visitors 19-7 over the final eight minutes to pull away for a big win. Kiara Cerruti scored 14 and Sydney Gallery added seven for Canton. Kate Bulger scored 13 for the Black Knights, including six in the first, and Vanessa Phelimond and Raina Tat each scored six.










Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 1 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Troy Carlisle scored a pair of goals and assisted on two other, helping North sweep the season series against Attleboro. Carlisle opened the scoring with a breakaway goal four minutes into the game and then picked up an assist about four minutes later when he set up Jack Dluhy in the slot. Attleboro goalie Nick Piazza made a pad stop but Joe Quinn knocked in the rebound. North hit the post twice in the first and Attleboro had a shot cleared off the line. Carlisle got his second when he stole the puck in the attacking zone and found the top corner. Nick Longa made it 4-0, assisted by Nik Kojoian and Mark Ayvazyan. North then got two more 39 seconds apart to lead 6-0 after two. Quinn scored his second off a Dluhy assist and Brody Gaulin was credited with a tip of Austin Comery’s shot from the point. Kojoian got his second assist early in the third when Anthony Westcott’s shot from the point went in off the bar. Gaulin added a 4-on-4 goal with 8:37 to play, assisted by Brady Sarro. Attleboro got on the board in the final 90 seconds, as Sean Marshall went the length of the ice on the power play and buried his shot in the top corner past North goalie Nate Kelly (eight saves). Piazza finished with 46 saves in the loss.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Canton, 7 – Final

Foxboro, 1 @ King Philip, 6 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – King Philip sophomore Brad Guden scored a hat trick to lead the Warriors to a league win over Foxboro at the Foxboro Sports Center. King Philip scored twice in the first, three times in the second, and tacked on one more in the third to get the win. Guden set up KP’s first goal, carrying possession into the offensive zone before teeing up classmate Sam Naggar for a one-timer from the blue line that found its way through. Less than two minutes later, John Campbell used a nice move in front to beat the goalie, assists going to Sean Crowther and Kevin Birenbaum. Foxboro cut the deficit in half with 8:08 to play in the first as senior Ben Ricketts intercepted a clearance attempt and fired a wrister that was partially stopped but trickled over the line. Guden lit the lamp twice in the second, first firing a low wrister from the blue line that found the back of the net, and then minutes later, had another low shot take a fortunate deflection off a Foxboro skate and into the back of the net. Crowther came flying down the left side before roofing a shot with less than two minutes to go to make it 5-1 after two periods. Guden completed the hat trick in the third, finishing off a pass from Crowther for a 6-1 edge. Senior Josh Marcoux made 33 saves in net for Foxboro.

Franklin, 7 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Franklin scored three goals in each the first and second periods on its way to a league win on the road over Taunton. Christian Shabbick scored a hat trick for the Panhters, scoring with eight minutes left in the first (on an assist from Ben Paterson) to make it 3-0, again less then two minutes into the second (from Anthony Lampasona) to make it 4-0, and then completed the hat trick (on another assist from Paterson) to push the lead to 6-0. Dylan Marchand added a pair of goals, Ryan Sicchio scored on the power play in the first period, and Paterson lit the lamp once and had a total of three assists. Freshman Jack O’Connor made 16 saves for the win. Taunton sophomore Conner Goranson scored off of an assist from senior Nathan Fernandes in the third period. Freshman Cam Tomaszycki made 46 saves in net for the Tigers.

Stoughton, 7 @ Cardinal Spellman, 2 – Final – Stoughton’s Sean Farley scored a pair of goals to help the Black Knights pick up their second win over Cardinal Spellman this month. Ryan Summers, Joe McNulty, Cooper Card, Colin Alessi and Charlie Caputo each added one goal for Stoughton.

Girls Hockey
Canton, 4 @ Medway/Ashland, 1 – Final – Audrey Koen scored a pair of goals to lead Canton to a third straight win and its fifth win in the last six games.

Franklin, 0 @ Medfield, 1 – Final (OT)

Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 2 @ Westwood, 2 – Final

King Philip, 9 @ Dedham, 0 – Final

Stoughton/Sharon, 2 vs. West/East Bridgewater, 7 – Final

Wrestling
Canton, 12 @ North Attleboro, 69 – Final

Sharon, 62 @ Foxboro, 14 – Final – Ashmith Yeruva, Vehnil Rangaraman, Adam Landstein, Cam Birnbaum, Nick Varvak, Kyle Samuels, Aaron Cashton, Phil Varvak, Cormac Horlbogen, Ethan Siao, and Ron Loebl each won for the Eagles, who clinched at least a share of the Davenport division title with the victory.

Mansfield, 21 @ Franklin, 49 – Final

Milford @ King Philip, 6:00

Oliver Ames, 78 @ Stoughton, 6 – Final – Senior Gio Juste, juniors Ryan Widdop, Kyle Hardie, and Victor Romeiro, and freshman Rory Gallagher-Lambert each earned a pinfall win for the Tigers.

Taunton, 72 @ Keefe Tech, 9 – Final – Ryan Jones (113), Christian Balmain (152), John Mandeville (160), Peter Ye (195), and Logan Frank (220) all won by pin to help Taunton secure a win on the road over Keefe Tech.

Boys Swimming
North Attleboro @ Canton, 5:15
King Philip, 29 @ Taunton, 43 – Final

Girls Swimming
North Attleboro @ Canton, 5:15
King Philip, 63 @ Taunton, 17 – Final

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/23/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Franklin, 77 @ New Bedford, 48 – Final – Franklin set the tone early with a 21-point first quarter and then dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Whalers, 22-9, to run away with a big win on the road. Sophomore Sean O’Leary was a big part of both of those quarters, scoring seven in the first and nine in the third, finishing with a team-high 22 points. Sophomore Henry Digiorgio scored all 15 of his points in the first three quarters, senior Sean Vinson added 14 points, and junior Justin Allen chipped in with 10 points.

Mansfield, 86 vs. Cranston West (R.I.), 38 – Final – Seven different Hornets hit from the field in a 31-point first quarter and the hosts never looked back to record their second straight win by 40 or more points. Junior Chris Hill scored a career-high 21 points, hitting nine shots from the field, to lead the Hornets in scoring. Sophomore Trevor Foley added a career-high 15 points and senior Matt Hyland finished with 10 points.

North Attleboro, 43 vs. Bishop Feehan, 48 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – North Attleboro trailed by just one at halftime but the Shamrocks limited the hosts to six points in the third quarter to increase a lead it never surrendered. The Rocketeers lead 13-9 after eight minutes but trailed 20-19 at the break. Feehan outscored the Big Red, 14-6, in the third. North had its best offensive quarter of the game in the fourth with 18 points but couldn’t close the gap. Casey Poirier scored a season-high 13 points while Givany Carney added nine and Brody Rosenberg finished with eight for North.

Oliver Ames, 67 vs. Abington, 70 – Final – Oliver Ames built an 11-point lead but Abington rallied throughout the second half and pulled ahead inside the final two minutes to get the win. The game featured a clash between two teams coached by the late Don Byron, who was honored with a pregame ceremony. Byron coached the Green Wave for 12 years including a trip to the TD Garden in his final year. He coached OA for the past 11 years, winning the Davenport division title last year. The Tigers held a 38-27 lead at the break and a 55-50 advantage going into the fourth. Senior Zach Tagliamonte scored a career-high 28 points to pace OA while Jake Grimaldi and Dan Reilly each scored 13 points.

Girls Basketball
North Attleboro, 21 @ Bishop Feehan, 68 – Final

Wrestling
Sharon Quad (Sharon, Franklin), 4:00
Marshfield Super Quad (Milford), 4:30
Stoughton @ Hanover, 5:00

Swimming
Taunton @ Brockton, 4:00

Gymnastics
Franklin, 143.45 @ Taunton, 122.4 – Final – Franklin senior Emma White won two events and took second in two more, taking first overall in the All Around to help the Panthers push past Taunton. White scored a 37.25 while senior Kate Rudolph recorded a 36.9.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/17/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 47 @ Franklin, 52 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

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.

Sharon, 29 @ North Attleboro, 40 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.




Wrestling
Silver Lake Quad (Stoughton), 4:00

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

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Attleboro

2020-2021 Record: 10-6
Coach: Mark Houle

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

After trotting out an entirely new lineup during the shortened COVID season a year ago, Attleboro is looking to build upon the foundation it built and contend for a Kelley-Rex title in a very deep division.

Senior Evan Houle and junior Trevor White are the two returning starters from a year ago but the Bombardiers have a lot of players back that saw valuable minutes off the bench as well. Houle and White both averaged 10 points per game a year ago and will be two of the main options on the offensive end of the court. Alvin Harrison and Joe Francois both played solid minutes last year and give the Bombardiers some size in the paint. Jake Struminski, Christian Dame, and Michael Beverly all played throughout last season and should be in the mix again this year.

The Bombardiers are getting a big boost in the backcourt with the addition of senior Colin Morais, who transferred in after playing in Rhode Island last year. Morais can score in a variety of ways and can really catch fire from three-point range so he will be a welcome addition to the lineup. Sophomore Neo Franco could see an expanded role right away and help provide additional defensive intensity and some scoring punch. Seniors Hayden Hagerty, senior Nathan Hunter-Evans, and junior Jaiden Outland give the Bombardiers some quality depth on the roster.

“I have been very impressed with our work ethic and how our players have set high standards in practice every day,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “I credit our recent graduates for the past several years who set the high expectations for our teams to work hard, be good teammates, and earn our success in practice. We’re looking forward to the always challenging Hockomock League schedule. We must be prepared and be ready to compete at a high level every game.”

Canton

2020-2021 Record: 4-9
Coach: Eric MacKinnon

A new chapter begins for the Bulldogs with Eric MacKinnon taking over as head coach after Ryan Gordy stepped down to take an athletics administrative position with Canton. MacKinnon, a former Hockomock League All-Star for Oliver Ames, has experience coaching at both the high school and collegiate levels and will try to guide a relatively inexperienced group through a tough league schedule.

Canton graduated seven seniors from last year’s team that accounted for nearly 90% of the team’s points scored last year. But with that loss comes a lot of new opportunities for new players to fit into the lineup and rotation. Senior Lanse Dorcelus possesses the most experience of anyone on the roster after getting pulled up to varsity his freshmen year and seeing an expanded role in each of the past two seasons. He could be primed for a breakout year with his ability to attack the rim, and he can score in bunches when he gets going.

Dorcelus is joined by Dillon Nguyen, Conor Hunter, and Nate Mei as returners from last year. All three of those players know what it’s like to play at the varsity level in the Hockomock League so MacKinnon will be leaning on their experience as the Bulldogs try to navigate through a very challenging schedule. MacKinnon is hoping to have the Dogs playing with pace in the halfcourt and will be looking to have a balanced attack on offense with a presence in the post but also a roster that can hit from outside.

“We have a mix of guys who have had varsity experience along with some juniors who weren’t able to swing last year because of covid protocols,” MacKinnon said. “We know we’ll need to be efficient offensively and be sound on the other end to compete every night in this league. We’ve made progress in our early practices and I’ve been impressed by our senior leadership.”

Foxboro

2020-2021 Record: 2-9
Coach: Jon Gibbs

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

There were a lot of growing pains for the Warriors last season, resulting in a 2-9 record during the shortened COVID season. But with its entire starting lineup back plus some added depth, Foxboro could be looking at a worst-to-first type turnaround in 2022.

Senior Dylan Gordon, fresh off an incredible football season for the Warriors, had a breakout season a year ago and was one of the leading scorers in the Hock at 16 points per game. He’s joined by junior Alex Penders, who had some dominant moments at times last year in the paint and averaged 13.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, and juniors Ryan LeClair, Sam Golub (6.4 PPG), and Sean O’Leary. Juniors Andrew Finn and Cam Barreira both played solid minutes at points last year so the Warriors boast eight veteran players now, which is a vast difference from last year when everyone on the roster was making their varsity debut.

The Warriors will look to boast a balanced offensive attack and have the weapons to do so. Whether it’s Penders down low in the post, Gordon slashing to the basket, or Golub lighting it up from deep, Foxboro has options all over the court. Head coach Jon Gibbs is hoping the experience and chemistry the group gained last year will provide a strong foundation for this season. Defensively, the Warriors have some size and length that will allow them to protect the paint, contest shots, and rebound at a high level.

“We have a deep team this year,” Gibbs said. “Guys are pushing each other hard in practice every day as they work to carve out roles for themselves. If we can defend and rebound at a championship level, we have the potential for a very successful season.”







2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Franklin

2020-2021 Record: 6-5
Coach: CJ Neely

Last season marked the second straight year that the Panthers graduated a large senior class and that means there are a lot of opportunities for new faces to step into the starting lineup and expanded roles this year around.

While the Panthers will have an entirely new starting lineup, Franklin will most certainly be right in the mix in a Kelley-Rex division that is jammed-pack with talent. Gone are leading scorer Declan Walmsley (17.5 points per game) along with the next two leading scorers on last year’s roster in Andrew Byfield (10.2) and Jake O’Brien (9.9). Key depth pieces like Zach Harvey (4.5) and Alex Newman (3.6) also graduated so head coach CJ Neely will be working with some new options this year.

Sophomore Henry Digiorgio burst onto the scene as a freshman a year ago and he’s the top returning scorer at 5.4 points per game, although he did reach double figures in the scoring column three times. Sean Vinson and Ben Harvey are the other two players back in the fold that saw some minutes a season ago. But something we’ve seen Franklin do year-in and year-out is reload so there will certainly be some new names to emerge over the next couple of weeks.

While the players change, the style of Franklin basketball has been consistent for years and defense remains to be the calling card under Neely. The Panthers are always a team that puts a lot of pressure, moves the ball around on the offensive end, and incorporates a lot of motion off the ball to keep opposing defenses on their heels.

“Guys have really showed up ready to compete for jobs,” Neely said. “Obviously with five graduating starters from last year’s team there are a lot of roles up for grabs and practices have been great. We have had a very competitive preseason and it has shown that we have a lot of depth and it will be an ongoing battle all year to earn your spot and maintain your spot throughout the year.”

King Philip

2020-2021 Record: 0-10
Head Coach: Dave DeStefano

With a strong mix of experienced players and new faces, King Philip is looking to make some noise in a very talented and deep Kelley-Rex division, one of the best divisions in the state.

Head coach Dave DeStefano is back after missing the COVID season due to the birth of his son and has seven seniors, four juniors, two sophomores, and two freshmen on the roster to work with this year. KP has a solid foundation with two returning starters back and both averaged double figures in the scoring column. Junior Will Laplante had a breakout year and will be someone every opposing defense will have to keep an eye on after averaging 16.4 points per game last year. And senior Danny Clancy is one of the hardest-working players and fights for a lot of rebounds on the offensive glass; he averaged 12.2 points per game last year.

Senior Charlie Grant, fresh off leading the King Philip football team to the state final at quarterback, is confident with the ball in his hands and will be like a quarterback for the offense by setting the tempo. Seniors Sean Sullivan and Braeden Sottile will be looking to build on their minutes from a season ago and could see expanded roles this go around. Seniors Will Martorano (6’5) and Drew Danson (6’3) should give the Warriors a big, physical presence in the paint. DeStefano is also expecting juniors Tommy Martorano, Grant Kinney, and Collin Peck to be in the mix after improving a lot over the offseason.

“The boys have really committed this offseason,” said DeStefano, who is hoping a combination of athleticism and physicality lead to success this year. “The practices so far have been really competitive and physical. We know that everyone in this league can score the ball and if we want to be successful we are going to have to commit on the defensive end of the floor. We want to make our opponents uncomfortable and focus on working together to get stops. On offense, we are looking to have a balanced attack and create great scoring opportunities as a team.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Mansfield

2020-2021 Record: 15-1 (Kelley-Rex division champions)
Coach: Mike Vaughan

Mansfield won another division title last season and expectations are sky high yet again this year, as the Hornets look to win their 10th straight Kelley-Rex division title and go on a deep tournament run.

While the Hornets reload every year, they have a pretty good head start this season already with senior Matt Hyland and junior Chris Hill back in the lineup. Both boast a lot of experience at the varsity level and are capable of being the best player on the court. Mansfield lost 1,000-point score Matt Boen (just the second player to reach that milestone under head coach Mike Vaughan despite all of the program’s success) to graduation so both Hyland and Hill will take on more responsibility on the offensive end of the floor.

Seniors Jack Lasbury-Casey, Andrew Slaney, and Anthony Sacchetti, along with sophomore Trevor Foley, all saw minutes during last year’s shortened COVID season and could be in line for expanded roles this year. Sacchetti has impressed in the preseason so far and the Hornets have played well with him on the floor, Foley (6’5) creates a lot of matchup problems with his size and athleticism, and both Lasbury-Casey and Slaney can give the offense a boost with their outside shooting.

Caden Colby, Dante James, and JT Veiking all are coming off very successful seasons of JV and the same goes for sophomore Eddie McCoy, who had a strong year on the freshmen squad. All four players are all in the mix for minutes and give the Hornets a very deep roster. The Hornets are looking to use their size and length to their advantage, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

“Overall the expectations are the same, we want to qualify for the tournament as quickly as possible by playing one game at a time, win the league title, and win multiple tournament games,” Vaughan said. “With the quality of the league and our tough non-league schedule, we have a challenge ahead of us but I think we have the pieces to be a very talented and quality basketball team on both ends of the floor.”




Milford

2020-2021 Record: 3-9
Coach: Paul Seaver

It’s not uncommon for a program to graduate its entire starting lineup, and it’s not even uncommon to see the majority of a roster turnover because of graduation. But Milford is in a unique situation in which it graduated its entire team. That’s right, Milford will boast a roster full of players without a minute of varsity experience.

Head coach Paul Seaver has four seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and four freshmen as the Hawks write a new chapter book in program history. Coaches in the Hockomock League will be checking in with their subvarsity coaches, and maybe even their metro coaches, to try and get an idea of what to expect from the Hawks this year.

While we’ll learn more about the Hawks as the season goes on, we do know one thing. Seaver will be leaning on the leadership of senior captains Nick Schuler and Paul Roberts. Both Schuler and Roberts have varsity experience in other sports so their leadership will be key for a program that will be experiencing this level for the first time.

“With a brand new crop of guys this season, we look to compete on both sides of the floor this year while working towards reestablishing the culture and environment of Milford basketball,” Seaver said.

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

North Attleboro

2020-2021 Record: 8-3
Coach: Sean Mulkerrins

The Rocketeers have a roster mixed with new faces and a handful of experienced players and are hoping that combination can lead to some success in a loaded Hockomock League.

After graduating just two seniors two years ago, North lost half of its roster from last year and all five were players that saw valuable minutes for head coach Sean Mukerrins. But on the plus side, the four players back all played a lot of minutes including starters and potential league all-stars Brody Rosenberg and Casey Poirier. Rosenberg was second on the team last year in scoring with 10.4 points per game last year and will need to take on more responsibility on the offensive end this year. Poirier is a capable guard that is confident with the ball in his hands and likes to spread the rock around.

Seniors Gavin Wells (6’3) and Nate Bennett (6’3) are the other two returners for the Big Red and both improved as the season went on last year. Wells emerged as a threat from the perimeter, dropping a season-high 13 points in a road win over Foxboro last season. Bennett can play in a variety of roles and he gives North some good size on the defensive end.

North has developed a reputation for being disciplined and well-prepared on the defensive end of the court, and that will likely be the strength for the squad again this year. On the offensive end, the Rocketeers will follow the lead of Rosenberg and Poirier as an unselfish group that is always looking for the best shot.

“We are excited to get the season started and see where we stack up against the rest of the Hockomock League,” Mulkerrins said. “After graduating a tremendous 2021 class, this group is excited to step in and carve our roles that will help our team succeed.”

Oliver Ames

2020-2021 Record: 9-1 (Davenport division champions)
Coach: Oliver Vil

Oliver Ames had a terrific showing during the shortened COVID season, winning the Davenport division in its first season back after four years in the Kelley-Rex division.

Oliver Vil takes over as head coach of the program after the untimely passing of legendary and Hall of Fame coach Don Byron in June. Byron coached through his battle with cancer for the past couple of seasons, leading the Tigers to the Davenport crown with a 9-1 record last winter.

Vil and the Tigers will honor Byron this season when they play Abington; Byron coached the Green Wave to a sectional title in his final season there before coming to Oliver Ames. The Tigers will be raising funds for Coaches vs. Cancer when they host Abington on December 23rd.

Vil, who was an assistant under Byron before taking the head coaching job at Walpole, has two key pieces back from last year’s squad. Senior Drew Baxter is a crafty guard that can really get going on the offensive side of the ball and score in a variety of ways; he will spearhead the offense while Jake Grimaldi, a senior co-captain, gives the Tigers some size down low. After graduating nine seniors from last year’s roster, there are a lot of opportunities for new faces to take advantage of.

“I look forward to continuing the great tradition at OA,” Vil said. “There are big shoes to fill, but my mentor Don Byron has prepared me for this position. I’m excited for this opportunity and challenge.”




2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Sharon

2020-2021 Record: 4-9
Coach: Andrew Ferguson

Sharon built a solid foundation during last year’s COVID-shortened season and now expectations are high as the Eagles look to build on it and compete for the Davenport division title.

The Eagles have a good chunk of the roster back from last year, all with an important year of experience now under the belt, and an impressive group of young players that are ready to make an immediate impact at the varsity level. Senior John Baez is in his fourth year with the varsity team and will be joined by senior Ryan Zunenshine in the backcourt to give the Eagles an experienced duo spearheading the offense.

The strong senior class also features Sam Cohen, Will Hippler, Donyae Pierre, Nate Yaffe, Ryan Baker, and Brent Cham. Cohen burst onto the scene at the end of his sophomore year and can light it up from three-point range while Hippler is a versatile player that gives the Eagles defensively flexibility. Junior Matt Baur is poised for a breakout season and might be the best player on the court on both sides of the court for the Eagles.

Sophomores Nate Katznelson and Jacob McLoughlin impressed in their first year playing high school ball last year and now will make the jump to the varsity level and could make an immediate impact. Juniors Jack Bates and Tyler Goodman give Sharon quality depth at the guard position. Sharon is hoping to get all five guys on the court involved on the offensive end of the court while a revamped defense could be the spark the Eagles need.

“We are thankful to be playing another season and thank the work of the athletic directors of the league to ensure a full season,” said head coach Andrew Ferguson. “We have been working extremely hard throughout the offseason and the early season to hit the ground running. We have a tight-knit team who have been growing together over the past few years and we can’t wait to get the season started.”

Stoughton

2020-2021 Record: 4-9
Coach: Evan Taylor

With just one starter back from last year, second-year head coach Evan Taylor is relying on a mix of new faces and some returners to make up the nucleus of this year’s squad.

Connor Andrews is the lone starter back for the Black Knights after averaging 8.5 points a year ago. But Stoughton also has a pair of juniors in Josh Rivera and Cashmere Mathurin, along with junior Rayan Sablon, that played meaningful minutes and are in line for expanded roles for the 2021-2022 season. Andrews can do it all on the offensive end and does a lot of the little things right. Not only can he light up the scoreboard with his outside shooting, but he also sets the tone with his hustle and rebounding.

Rivera is a capable ball-handler and likes to get his teammates involved; his energy will set the tone of the defensive end. Matherin’s size and athleticism will give a lot of teams trouble this year and Stoughton is looking for him to be one of the best rim protectors in the league. Sablon will play a variety of roles for the Knights, capable of playing as both the one and the two depending on the scenario. Freshman Matt Greenspoon is a player to watch as the season goes on.

Taylor is putting a big focus on the defensive end of the floor during the preseason. The Black Knights allowed the second-most points against in the Davenport division this year so a renewed focus on defense — with an emphasis on using their speed and athleticism to cause havoc — will be something to keep an eye on.

“We are very pleased with the energy and competition level at practice and we are expecting to be very competitive in the Davenport division this season,” Taylor said.

taunton

2020-2021 Record: 10-1 (Kelley-Rex division champions)
Coach: Charlie Dacey

Last season will always be “what if” for the Tigers, who won their first Hock title by sharing the Kelley-Rex division title with Mansfield. But the past is the past and Taunton is focused on the future, which could be another league title.

There will certainly be a bit of a new look for Taunton with the centerpiece of the offense from the past two seasons Tyler Stewart now causing problems for opponents in the Commonwealth Coast Conference as a member of the Wentworth men’s basketball team, and three-year starter Josh Lopes now suiting up for American International College.

But not all is lost as the Tigers have its three other starters from last year’s squad back in the mix and ready to challenge for another Kelley-Rex crown. Trent Santos is now a three-year starter and led the Tigers in scoring last year with 15.2 points per game and he will be one of the top players in the league again this year. Tristan Herry made a huge jump between his sophomore and junior year and is looking to continue that trend this year, the heart and soul of the defense. And Faisal Mass made a big splash last year and can hurt teams in a variety of ways.

The Tigers are getting a boost with the addition of Jordan Costa, who provides a big boost in the rebounding category and can cause some damage around the rim. He’ll be joined by junior Matt Small (6’4) to give the Tigers another option down low. Sophomores Troy Santos and Morrisette could be contributors to the lineup right away for Taunton.

“We’re looking to be aggressive defensively and dynamic offensively with varied skills being able to finish from different spots and different personnel,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey.

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/12/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Division 1
#8 Methuen, 7 @ #1 Franklin, 24 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (M) JP Muniz 4-yard rush, Omar Aboutoui XP good; (F) Mack Gulla 5-yard rush, Garret Portesi XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) Jared Aron 23-yard pass to Will Tracey, G. Portesi XP good.
3rd Quarter: (F) M. Gulla 32-yard rush, G. Portesi XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) G. Portesi 22-yard field goal.

Division 2
#6 Mansfield, 14 @ #3 King Philip, 21 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (KP) Rudy Gately 1-yard rush, Matthew Kelley XP good; (M) Drew Sacco 4-yard rush, James Gilleran XP good.
2nd Quarter: (KP) Charlie Grant 37-yard pass to Danny Clancy, M. Kelley XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) Conner Zukowski 10-yard pass to Trevor Foley, J. Gilleran XP good.
4th Quarter: (KP) R. Gately 2-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good.

Non-Playoffs
Attleboro, 26 @ BC High, 8 – Final

Oliver Ames, 35 vs. Hopkinton, 16 – Final
1st Quarter: (OA) Collin Williamson 50-yard rush, N. Ferrini XP good.
2nd Quarter: (OA) C. Williamson 47-yard rush, N. Ferrini XP good.
3rd Quarter: (OA) Chad Silva 18-yard rush, N. Ferrini XP good.
4th Quarter: (OA) Jake Grimaldi 31-yard pass to Robert Jenkins, N. Ferrini XP good; (H) Hopkinton touchdown, two point conversion good; (OA) R. Jenkins 30-yard rush, N. Ferrini XP good; (H) Hopkinton touchdown, two point conversion good.

Stoughton, 32 @ Middleboro, 0 – Final
1st Quarter: (S) Michael Jardim 60-yard interception return, Jonah Ly XP good.
2nd Quarter: (S) Brady Clark 6-yard pass to Anthony Girolamo, J. Ly XP good; (S) A. Girolamo 70-yard interception return, XP failed.
3rd Quarter: (S) Jarred Daughtry 1-yard rush, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (S) J. Daughtry 17-yard rush, XP failed.

Volleyball
Division 1
#9 Barnstable, 0 @ #1 Franklin, 3 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this match.

Division 2
#10 Woburn, 0 @ #2 King Philip, 3 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this match.

Taunton Takes The Tiger Bowl Behind Big Offensive Night

Taunton football Trent Santos
Taunton senior Trent Santos hauls in a 61-yard touchdown pass in the first half against Oliver Ames. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 TAUNTON, Mass. – Taunton’s two-game losing streak came to an emphatic end on Thursday night.

The Tigers had their best offensive outing in three seasons, scoring six touchdowns plus a field goal to grab a 45-20 win in the Tiger Bowl over Oliver Ames in a non-league crossover clash.

After a close loss to King Philip two weeks ago and a setback to Franklin last week in a game that was closer than the scoreline indicated,

Taunton football

Taunton got back into the win column for the fourth time this season.


“Offensively we knew we’d have the chance to score some points and we did a good job there,” said Taunton head coach Brad Sidwell. “I’m proud of our guys, we haven’t scored that many points in a while.”

Taunton football

Taunton picked up points on its first three drives — a field goal followed by two touchdowns — which all came in the opening quarter of the game. The host Tigers scored inside the final two minutes of the first half and less than two minutes into the second half and added two more in the third quarter to get the win.

The defense set the tone by forcing Oliver Ames into a three-and-out on the first series of the game. OA punted on each of its first three drives, had two series end on turnovers, and one turnover on downs.

A high snap slowed Taunton’s first drive of the game and the hosts settled for a 31-yard field goal off the right foot of senior Nate Keenan.

The offense didn’t need much time on its second drive to find the end zone. After Evan Perrotta (13 carries, 56 yards) moved the chains with a 10-yard run on first down, junior quarterback Jacob Leonard found Trent Santos in single coverage down the right sideline. Leonard dropped the pass into Santos’ hands in stride and the senior, who missed last week due to injury, did the rest for a 61-yard touchdown.










OA couldn’t get anything going offensively on its third series, partly due to a tackle for a loss from Ryan MacDougall, and the visiting Tigers had to punt, pinning Taunton inside its own 20-yard line.

The long field didn’t phase Taunton, who scored on its first play of the drive. Leonard dropped back and hit Perrotta on a screen. The senior back squirmed through the defense up the middle but OA kept with the play and forced a fumble. But before any OA player could pounce on the loose ball, Taunton senior tightend Faisal Mass scooped up the loose ball and raced his way to the end zone from 54 yards out.

Just like that,

Taunton football

Taunton held a 17-0 lead before the end of the first quarter.

“We have to come out better,” said OA head coach Ed DeWitt. “I don’t think it’s an X’s and O’s, I think they are blocking their stuff right…we just came out flat tonight. There wasn’t enough emotion…and when something goes wrong, we have to fight back.”

Oliver Ames put together a much-needed response that took nearly six minutes of the clock. Senior quarterback Jake Grimaldi connected with classmate Sean Friel, who fought for some extra yards to move the sticks with a 24-yard gain. Junior running back Collin Williamson (15 carries, 142 yards, 2 TD) broke free for 21 yards on the next play and then converted a third down inside the red zone three plays later. After that, Williamson took the handoff to the left and found his way into the end zone to make it 17-7.

“Collin’s great, he runs hard,” DeWitt said. “Sometimes it takes us a little bit to figure out where his seam is but when we do, he hits it and when he gets through, he’s a hard tackle and finishes runs for us. He’s been doing it all year for us.

OA’s defense held Taunton to just four yards on its next series, getting good coverage from junior Jordan Young on second down to help get the ball back. OA started to move the ball on its next drive but Nathen LaPlante had a big tackle for loss, OA was hit with a holding call, and Taunton sophomore Troy Santos intercepted a third down pass near midfield, taking it all the way to the OA 25-yard line with just 3:31 left in the half.

Taunton football

Taunton kept it on the ground for this series, handing it off to Perrotta four consecutive plays, the last for a 2-yard touchdown and a 24-7 lead going into halftime.

OA took a chance to start the second half, going for an onside kick on the opening kickoff. The visiting Tigers got the blocks they wanted but the ball bounced out and Taunton took over with good field position. The hosts took advantage of that field position, needing just three plays to add to its lead.




Leonard hit Perrotta with a swing pass out in the flat that went for 28 yards and then the Perrotta took back-to-back handoffs, the latter going for a 4-yard touchdown and a 31-7 lead with 10:20 left in the third.

“We haven’t finished the last two weeks so the whole thing this week was about finishing, and we did which was good to see,” Sidwell said.”With the new playoff system, you’re winning a game and you’re trying to keep that certain lead, keep it at the max. You’re not being unsportsmanlike, you’re trying to do the math figuring out the difference.”

It didn’t take long for Oliver Ames to respond. On just the second play of the ensuing drive, Robert Jenkins (68 receiving yards, 87 rushing yards) took a counter to the left before cutting up the field and through the difference, running away for a 77-yard touchdown with 9:13 to play in the third.

Chad Silva recorded a tackle for loss on second down and junior defensive end Chris Young made a nice play by getting his hands up to bat down a third down pass at the line, forcing Taunton to punt. Grimaldi hit Jenkins for 22 yards and a first down and Williamson gained five on the next play but Troy Santos read the play nicely on the next play, undercutting the pass for his second interception of the game.

Facing 3rd and 11, Leonard hit sophomore Jose Touron on a comeback route on the right side and he was able to break free from the defense and took off for 62 yards, tackled at the 1-yard line. Keenan burst up the middle and into the end zone for a touchdown and Taunton pushed the lead to 38-14 with 3:58 left in the third.

OA’s offense had another response to keep within striking distance. Williamson broke out for 35 yards on first down and Grimaldi kept it on a QB sneak four plays later to convert a fourth and short. Two plays later, Williamson bounced it outside to the right and used his speed to sprint away from the defense for a 34-yard touchdown. That cut the deficit to 38-20 with just 10 seconds left in the third.

“We fought a bit, tried the onside kicks to get back into it but there were some positives we can take from the second half,” DeWitt said.”We felt like we really came out flat in the first half, not much to build on. We put our knee down on the opening kickoff and then had a false start on the first play…and it spirals from there.

“When we got it to 17-7, we have to hammer down there and keep that score going into the half. We just have to come out strong and playing within the aspect of the game, managing the game a bit better.”

Taunton football

Taunton recovered the ensuing onside kick and march 55 yards on 7 plays to add another touchdown. Leonard hit Santos early in the drive to move the sticks and Keenan had a 21-yard gain on third down to keep the drive alive. Touron took the sweep to the right and Santos blocked the corner to allow the ball carrier to get into the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown and a 45-20 lead with 9:21 to play.

“Our offense did a good job moving the ball but we have to establish the run game a little bit more, especially when you’re having a little trouble stopping the run. But I’m proud of the way our guys played. We’re trying to get healthy and better for the remainder of the season. The gauntlet of the Kelley-Rex [division] is really hard.”

Both teams have a tough schedule as they head into the final two weeks of division play. Taunton football (0-2 Kelley-Rex, 4-2 overall) hits the road to take on Mansfield while Oliver Ames (1-1 Davenport, 2-4 overall) returns home to host North Attleboro.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/08/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Attleboro, 22 @ King Philip, 30 – Final
1st Quarter: (KP) Rudy Gately, 2-yard rush, Matthew Kelley XP good.
2nd Quarter: (KP) Charlie Grant 7-yard pass to Will Astorino, M. Kelley XP good; (KP) Crawford Cantave 1-yard rush, XP failed.
3rd Quarter: (A) Kaiden Murray 3-yard rush, Anthony Salviati XP good; (KP) M. Kelley 23-yard field goal; (A) Logan Briggs 82-yard rush; Matt Harvie 2pt pass to L. Briggs.
4th Quarter: (KP) C. Grant 35-yard pass to Tom Brewster, M. Kelley XP good; (A) K. Murray 4-yard rush, A. Salviati XP good.

Oliver Ames, 12 @ Canton, 7 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (OA) Jake Grimaldi 2-yard rush, XP failed.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (OA) Collin Williamson 62-yard rush, 2pt failed; (C) Vincent O’Brien rush, Hayden Rose XP good.

Stoughton, 13 @ Foxboro, 49 – Final
1st Quarter: (F) Dylan Gordon 8-yard rush, Sam Carpenter XP good; (F) Tom Marcucella 42-yard pass to Rashaad Way, S. Carpenter XP good; (S) Anthony Girolamo 5-yard rush, Jonah Ly XP good; (F) D. Gordon 2-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) D. Gordon 36-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good; (F) D. Gordon 23-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good; (F) T. Marcucella 5-yard pass to Nick Medeiros, S. Carpenter XP good.
3rd Quarter: (F) D. Gordon 90-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good.
4th Quarter: (S) B. Clark 1-yard rush, XP failed.

Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 35 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (F) Jared Arone 69-yard pass to Mack Gulla, Garrett Portesi XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) J. Arone 15-yard pass to Shane Kindred, G. Portesi XP good.
3rd Quarter: (F) M. Gulla 56-yard rush, G. Portesi XP good; (F) M. Gulla 73-yard rush, G. Portesi XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) Jase Lyons 24-yard interception return, G. Portesi XP good.

Milford, 27 @ Mansfield, 24 – Final (OT)
1st Quarter: (Mil) Evan Cornelius 1-yard rush, Nick Araujo XP good.
2nd Quarter: (Mil) Tyler Lane 1-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (Mans) Drew Sacco 5-yard rush, James Gilleran XP good; (Mans) Conner Zukowski 1-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good.
3rd Quarter: (Mans) James Fichera 3-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good.
4th Quarter: (Mil) E. Cornelius 40-yard pass to Damien Carter, N. Araujo XP good.
Overtime: (Mans) J. Gilleran 30-yard field goal; (Mil) E. Cornelius 9-yard pass to D. Carter.

Sharon, 15 @ Martha’s Vineyard, 7 – Final (OT)
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: (MV) Touchdown, XP good.
4th Quarter: (S) Gabe Korn 5-yard rush, Jace McCarron XP good.
Overtime: (S) G. Korn 3-yard rush, G. Korn 2pt rush good.










Boys Soccer
Franklin, 1 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Esvin Morales set up the tying goal and scored the game-winner just minutes later as the Bombardiers rallied to take a win over Franklin. With the win, Attleboro moves into a first place tie in the Kelley-Rex division with Mansfield. Franklin opened the scoring just before the half hour mark. Tyler Powderly used his speed to get down the right wing and play in a cross. The initial ball was cleared but only as far as junior Max Tobin, who one-timed it into the top corner to put the visitors ahead. Attleboro’s best chance of the first half came in the 17th minute when senior Yianni Skordas forced a turnover and pushed forward, centering to Morales. Morales cut back to evade a defender and the keeper but his shot on goal was denied by Franklin senior midfielder Terry O’Neill. In the second half, Cashel Stuger played the ball to Morales, who turned and played a ball over the top of the defense and sophomore Alex Vecchioli finished the half volley from a step inside the area to bring the hosts level. Four minutes later, after Franklin was whistled for a handball, Morales stepped over the ball and placed a shot on frame while the Panthers were setting up the wall and it just beat the diving keeper for the game-winner.

Milford, 2 vs. Hopedale, 0 – Final – Milford scored a pair of second half goals to earn a win over local rival Hopedale. John Borges had two assists for the Scarlet Hawks, setting up both goals. First, Borges found Eduardo Santana to put the hosts in front and then Borges assisted on a goal from Chris Tocci.

Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Senior Riley Fitzpatrick scored a pair of goals to lead the Panthers to a win at home over the visiting Bombardiers. Fitzpatrick had a beautiful header off a free kick from Norah Anderson and scored her other goal off a pass from Anya Zub. Zub had two assists in the win, setting up senior Stella Regan for the other Franklin goal.

Foxboro, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 1 – Final

Sharon, 4 @ Milford, 5 – Final – Dani Atherton had a hat trick and an assist to lead Milford to a wild win over Sharon. It was Milford’s second win in the past three days. Paige Caldon added her second goal in as many games and Cailyn Paccico had one for the Hawks. The Eagles got two goals apiece from Wendy Wooden and Carly Pinnix. Olivia Soby had two assists and Sofia Goclowski had one for Sharon and Amber Marcus-Blank played well defensively.




Field Hockey
Attleboro, 5 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Madison Ellis scored a hat trick to pace the Bombardiers to a big win on the road over Mansfield. Attleboro recevied a great defensive effort from Trinity Harrison and the Bombardiers transitioned from defense to offense smoothly due to the strong play of Jordan Croteau. Olivia Hillman had a strong game on the right side for the visitors and scored once.

Foxboro, 0 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Canton’s Ellie Bohane scored late in the fourth quarter to give the Bulldogs a win over Foxboro, stretching their unbeaten streak to eight. Bohane converted a pass from Sierra Abbott for the lone goal of the game while Carolyn Durand made key saves down the stretch to preserve the shutout.

Franklin, 2 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

North Attleboro, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Four different players found the back of the net, two from each team, and Oliver Ames and North Attleboro split the two points in a 2-2 draw. Tyla Delamere and Georgia Costello each scored for the Tigers while Julia Maclaine and Costello each had an assists. Caroline Rolan (from Emily Burnham) and Zoe McKeon scored for the Rocketeers.

Sharon, 0 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Zofia Bangs scored the lone goal of the game as Stoughton picked up a win on Senior Night.

Volleyball
Attleboro, 0 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield earned a key division win in the form of a 3-0 sweep (25-15, 25-5, 25-15) over the visiting Bombardiers of Attleboro. Julia Kelly had a big game with 11 kills, five aces, and a pair of digs, Nicole Santos added seven aces and four kills, Lexie Scibilia chipped in with three kills, three blocks, and a pair of aces, and Christina Lydon and Izzy Flint combined for 21 assists. For Attleboro, Julia Leonardo recorded eight kills while Brianna Frissora had a great game at the net.

Foxboro, 0 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton bounced back from a tough five-set loss to Westwood with a clean 3-0 sweep (25-8, 25-17, 25-22) over visiting Foxboro. Jess Wright continued to lead the offense for the Bulldogs with 12 kills and added eight digs. Taylor Reynold dished out 22 assists to go with six aces, Syd Gallery added five kills and two aces, and Anna Verille continued to shine defensively with 15 digs and two kills.

Franklin, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this match. – The battle between the top two teams in the Hockomock League lived up to the hype as King Philip rallied from a two-game deficit to stun Franklin, 3-2 (23-25, 21-25, 25-18, 25-23, 15-12). Sami Shore, Ahunna James, and Emily Sawyer all played well at the net for KP in the comeback win while Samantha Asprelli and Gianna DeLorenzo anchored the back row in the win. Sofia Riedel had a big day at the service line for KP with 11 service points and three aces. For Franklin, Brigid Earley (two blocks) and Taylor Lacerda (22 digs) each had 14 kills while Lindsey Tarantola added nine kills and eight blocks.

Milford, 3 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – In an incredibly close match, Milford prevailed with a 3-2 win (27-25, 25-22, 18-25, 22-25, 15-11). For Taunton, Hayley Krockta and Mikayla Cleary each had 11 kills while Anna Abouzeid dished out 28 assists.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – In a match tighter than the final score shows, North Attleboro secured an important 3-0 win (25-22, 26-24, 25-20) win over Oliver Ames. For the Tigers, junior Maddie Homer recorded 25 digs, senior Hadley Rhodes dished out 26 assists to go along with five kills, sophomore Sarah Hilliard added 14 kills and 10 digs, and sophomore Claire O’Rourke chipped in with eight kills and three aces.

Golf
Attleboro vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 2:30

Foxboro, 157 @ Oliver Ames, 152 – Final – Oliver Ames earned its 10th win of the season by taking down Foxboro in a close match at Pine Oaks. Senior captain Jake Kaplan shot a medalist round of 35 to lead the way for the Tigers. Junior Michael McGinnis and sophomore Aden Ashley each shot a 39 to count for the scoring for the first time in their careers. Sophomore Lucas Riley and junior Daniel Paul both added a 40 in the win.

Sharon, 171 @ Canton, 147 – Final – Sophomore Mekhala Costello capped a tremendous week with another medalist round, this time a one-over par round of 35 to lead the Bulldogs to a big win at home over Sharon. The win clinches at least a share of the Davenport division title for Canton. Mike Loenetti added a 36 in the win, Conor Hunter chipped in with a 37, and Will Gefteas finished with a 39 for Canton. Eric Carter led the way for Sharon with a round of 41, Owen Kevorkian added a 42, and Nathan Daley, Noah Glassman, and James Spoto all shot a 44 for the Eagles.

Black Knights Tame The Tigers With Timely Touchdowns

Stoughton football Anthony Girolamo
Stoughton senior Anthony Girolamo muscles his way to a first down in the second half against Oliver Ames. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 NORTH EASTON, Mass. – The end of the first half and beginning of the second half couldn’t have gone worse for Stoughton during last week’s trip to Mansfield.

It couldn’t have gone much better this time around.

Sparked by a broken play, the Black Knights finally got on the scoreboard with less than a minute to go in the first half and then scored on all four of its drives in the second half to land a 35-7 win on the road against Oliver Ames.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Stoughton football

Locked in a scoreless game, Stoughton’s first two drives combined for eight plays and six yards, and the Knights lined up to punt on fourth down after their third drive stalled at their own 35-yard line with time running out in the second quarter.

But a low snap and pressure from an Oliver Ames special teamer forced senior Emmett Pearl to abandon the kick and take off running down the left sideline, sprinting 10 yards to move the sticks and keep the drive going.

“That was his decision, that was huge,” said Stoughton head coach Greg Burke.

Seven plays later, facing a 3rd and 20 from near midfield, sophomore quarterback Jarred Daughtry rolled out to the right on a bootleg, planted his feet, and fired back to the left side where Pearl, who had lined up on the right side of the formation, sprinted free and hauled in the catch, going for a 49 touchdown with just 29 seconds left in the half.

“It was a low snap and I saw the kid rushing, and I saw the open sideline and I wanted to score before halftime,” Pearl said. “I took off and it paid off. We really haven’t practice that so it was more my call off of instincts. I think coach felt the momentum with me and gave me a shot [on the touchdown].

“We learned our lesson from last week about staying up and keeping the lead. We fought and didn’t let the momentum take over after their touchdown.”










That spark ignited the Stoughton offense, which couldn’t be stopped the rest of the way. The Black Knights received the opening kickoff of the second half and quickly marched 65 yards on nine plays, highlighted by a 26-yard pass from Daughtry to Jonay Ly (11 carries, 82 yards, one touchdown).

Stoughton football

Stoughton faced a 3rd and 2 inside the 10-yard line and the Tigers got to Anthony Girolamo (12 carries, 118 yards, two touchdowns) in the backfield but the senior running back withstood the hit and bulldozed his way forward for a first down. Two plays later, Ly plunged in from a yard out as the Knights doubled their lead to 14-0.

“The end of the half one really sucked,” said OA head coach Ed DeWitt. “We felt good at halftime, just made the one mistake, but they came out right away and scored. We thought we had a shot to get a tackle to get them into a longer fourth down but [Girolamo] breaks the tackle and they get in the next play. It’s kind of a killer. We’d like to get a little more push back there.”

Oliver Ames marched into the red zone, helped by runs from Collin Williamson and Chad Silva, for the second time in the game but came up empty-handed again. Stoughton’s Michael Jardim defended a pass in the end zone in the first half to end the Tigers’ first trip and this time around, a sack from Tyler Noel and Liam Joyce pushed OA back and on second down and Pearl came up with an interception on the next play.

“I don’t know if we’re at their level yet but I think we’re really close,” DeWitt said. “But when they had a shot, they got it in. When we had a shot, we don’t. If you score during the two red zone trips, it’s a different game. We’re playing differently, they have to play it differently, and all of a sudden you’re right in the game. But those big point swings are hard to overcome.”




Stoughton football

Stoughton turned that interception into more points, going 83 yards on just six plays. Ly had back-to-back carries of nine and 12 yards, Girolamo broke free for 26 more yards, Konrad Rogers added 10 yards, and two plays later, Girolamo muscled his way to a 16-yard touchdown.

“We’re happy with the way we’re doing it,” Burke said, “As long as we can stay healthy I think we can hang in there with anybody…we’re going to be fighting and clawing and that’s Stoughton all the way.”

Oliver Ames reached into its bag of tricks to get on the scoreboard and get some momentum back. A reverse on the first play saw junior Jaden Graham go for 14 yards and a first down. On the next, senior quarterback Jake Grimaldi tossed a quick pass out to classmate Sean Friel, who was behind the line of scrimmage. Friel launched a pass down the left sideline and junior Jack Morley hauled it in, broke free from the last defender, and toed the line for a 51-yard touchdown.

The momentum was short-lived for OA, as the onside kick attempt just slipped through and Stoughton took over. Two plays later, Girolamo burst up the middle for a 45-yard touchdown and a 28-7 lead.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Stoughton got its second fourth down stop of the game and went 41 yards on seven plays, capped by a fourth down touchdown pass from Daughtry and Jardim from 11 yards out.

“Last week was tough, we played hard,” Burke said. “We didn’t win but we learned some lessons and fixed some mistakes. We’re just going to keep getting better and we’re happy we got our first league win. We’re hoping to get into the playoffs like everybody else in America.”

Stoughton football (1-0 Hockomock Davenport, 2-2 overall) is back on the road for the third straight week when it travels to Foxboro (3-1). Oliver Ames (0-1, 1-3) will try to bounce back when it takes to Canton.