Oliver Ames senior Chad Silva (6) carries the ball in the first half against Brookline. Silva finished with 161 yards on 17 carries. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH EASTON, Mass. — For starters, there was a lot to like for Oliver Ames head coach Ed DeWitt.
The Tigers rushed for just under 300 yards, scored on four of five drives during the middle quarters, recorded six sacks, and forced three turnovers in a season-opening win, 41-12, over visiting Brookline at Muscato Stadium.
OA opened the game with an eight-play, 62-yard drive capped by a rushing touchdown from senior Chad Silva, and the Tigers never trailed in the contest. Silva finished with 161 yards on just 17 carries with a pair of touchdowns. Defensively, senior Jake Manthous finished with four sacks, including one strip sack, and both senior Jack Perron and sophomore Thomas Whiteside had an interception.
“For the most part, I’m pretty happy,” DeWitt said. “There’s definitely stuff we can improve on but it’s Week 1, it’s going to happen. I thought there was some resiliency early, a couple of things didn’t go our way, a couple of drives don’t go our way. But we fought back which is something we’ve talked to this group a lot about, not letting one thing get us down.”
Penalties deterred the Tigers on their second and third drives, a total of nine plays that netted positive three yards because of holding penalties. But OA’s defense was up to the task all night, limiting the visitors to 175 total yards and just 2-for-10 on third down.
Brookline started its second drive of the game in OA territory but on third down, Perron jumped the route just inside his own 20-yard line for the interception to end the Warriors’ biggest threat of the first half.
Oliver Ames football
OA’s offense clicked into gear on the fourth drive again. A healthy dose of Silva — five carries for 48 yards — helped the Tigers move the sticks. Senior quarterback Wayne Casey converted a second and long with a 22-yard pass to Jordan Young (who had two sacks defensively), and on the next play, Silva raced to the end zone from 24 yards out and, after a success point attempt from Nick Ferrini, a 14-0 lead with 5:02 left in the first half.
“It’s nice having him, it’s a guy we can trust,” DeWitt said of Silva, a three-year starter. “He knows our stuff, I can bring up something from two years ago, a play that we had and he allows us to get it in pretty quick. We have some pretty intelligent guys, a lot of studious guys and he’s right up there. He runs hard and he’s tough to tackle.”
A tackle for a loss on second down from Jaden hinton followed by Manthous’ first sack on third down forced Brookline into a quick punt and OA wasted little time moving the ball. Jaden Graham drew a pass interference call on the first play and on the next play, Casey rolled out right, eluded a tackle, and came back left before firing across the field to Whiteside, who was left all alone, and he scampered for a 56-yard touchdown and a 20-0 lead for the hosts going into halftime.
A first down sack from Manthous pushed the Warriors back on the opening drive of the second half and a big heave down field was hauled in by Whiteside, and he returned it 25 yards into Brookline territory.
Although OA gave it right back on an interception of its own, Hinton broke up a screen attempt and Manthous recorded a second down sack, and Brookline was forced to punt once again.
“We made some good plays [on defense],” DeWitt said. “Those interceptions we got were timely because they were in our end, one in the red zone. Those are great plays, [defensive coordinator] coach [Mark] Lenehan does a great job getting them ready. For the most part, I thought we pursued really well, tackled pretty strongly, and our coverage was good all night so I was happy about that.”
Runs from Jack Morley, Whiteside, Henry Mirrione, and Silva produced a pair of first downs, Silva scampered for 29 yards into the red zone, and Casey used a bootleg misdirection keeper to go in from six yards out to make it 27-0.
Oliver Ames football
Brookline got on the board late in the third, converting a fourth down for a score. On 4th and 1, junior quarterback Joshua Karp hit classmate Andrew Bamberg on a quick slant and he broke free for a 56-yard score.
It didn’t take long for OA to respond as sophomore Harold Smith had a big kickoff return all the way to the Brookline 18-yard line. DeWitt rewarded him with his first carry of the night and he was able to bounce it outside to the right and sprint to the end zone for a touchdown on the first play of the drive, making it 34-6.
Manthous put an exclamation mark on his big night on the final play of the third quarter, breaking free from his block to record the strip sack and Giovanni Delarosa recovered to get OA the ball back going into the fourth.
“He was injured last year, he was a little bit lighter but he put in good work during the offseason,” DeWitt said of Manthous. He works hard, he hustles, and he’s a big second part of the play kind of guy. If he doesn’t get you at the beginning, he’s got a big motor and I think he played both ways almost all night.”
Junior CJ Crocker capped the scoring for the Tigers with a 19-yard touchdown with two minutes to play to make it 41-12.
Oliver Ames football (1-0) is home again next Friday when they entertain Quincy at 7:00.
Softball
Taunton, 5 vs. Newton North, 4 – Final – Kaysie DeMoura’s base hit in the bottom of the seventh plated Kyleah Plumb for a walk-off win for the Tigers. Plumb went 2-for-4 and scored twice and DeMoura was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Taunton took a 2-0 lead in the first, including a big homer off the bat of Ava Venturelli and answered a three-run top of the second with a pair of runs to go in front 4-3. Angie Lynch (two hits) and Kylie Thorpe both had triples in the inning. Newton North tied the game with a sac fly in the sixth, but Liv Mendonca was able to throw a clean top of the seventh and the Tigers got the chance to win it.
Boys Lacrosse
Franklin, 7 @ LaSalle (R.I.), 15 – Final
Mansfield, 9 @ Weymouth, 4 – Final
North Attleboro @ Bishop Hendricken (RI), 1:00
Oliver Ames, 18 vs. East Bridgewater, 7 – Final – Oliver Ames found the back of the net 10 times in the opening quarter, had a 16-4 by halftime, and finished with an 18-7 win over visiting East Bridgewater. Wyatt Fritchman paced the offense with six goals and two assists for the Tigers, Ben Reardon added five goals, and Ryan Jaco added three goals. Jake Manthous dominated at the X, going 19-for-20 on faceoffs. Junior Noah Isleib turned away eight of the 12 shots he faced in the win.
Girls Lacrosse
Oliver Ames, 12 @ East Bridgewater, 3 – Final – Behind a total team effort, Oliver Ames ran away with a win on the road over East Bridgewater. Kayla Magit scored four goals for the Tigers while Jess Widdop and Claire O’Rourke split time in net for the win.
Following a first South final appearance, Franklin returns a strong group to go after a state title. Find full previews for all teams below. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2021 Record: 3-11 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Preliminary Round Coach: Kevin Patton
Attleboro had some growing pains during the 2021 campaign, but has a good chunk of the roster back in the fold for 2022 and will try to take the next step forward as a program.
The Bombardiers will have a strong foundation on the defensive end of the field. Captain Fred Wheaton is back for another year to anchor the defense and he’s joined by fellow returners Bobby Sawyer and John Wheaton to give Attleboro a solid veteran nucleus to try and shut down some of the top offenses in the league. Attleboro also has sophomore Harry Wheaton back in net after gaining valuable experience in the cage in 2021.
Having last year’s top scorer in Carter Shelton back in the fold will give the Bombardiers a good start in the attack. Shelton scored 30 goals and had 15 assists, finishing 12th in the Hock in scoring. Captain Keigan Conley is also back to bolster the attack, coming off a 22 goal, 10 assist campaign a year ago. Freshman Nathan Conroy is also in the mix already in the attack.
Attleboro’s midfield will be anchored by captain Ryan Betts along with Chad Beaupin and Seth LaPlace. The Bombardiers also expect contributions from Cole McKenna, Patrick McAvoy, and Spencer Scherck.
“We have a lot of returning guys that picked up valuable varsity experience last season,” said Attleboro head coach Kevin Patton. “We are looking forward to a strong season in 2022.”
2021 Record: 14-2 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal Coach: Ryan Quinn
Canton split its two games with Foxboro to win a share of the Davenport title in 2021, just the third league title in program history and were an overtime goal away from reaching the Div. 2 South final. The Bulldogs have a lot of experience in the attack and the midfield this season with the goal of putting in another challenge for the league crown and putting together another state tournament push.
The Bulldogs had a dynamic attack last spring and the league’s leading scorer Sam Carlino headlines a strong group this season as well. Junior Jeff Chaput joins Carlino in the attack and the midfield group is filled with experience from last season. Sophomore Brendan Tourgee, juniors AJ Thomas and Chris Hamilton, senior Eddie Gillis, and Charlie Vaughn will all give Canton playmaking at the middie position.
Defensively, Canton will definitely miss graduated goalie Dylan Coyne but the Bulldogs have a talented group of poles that should be tough to score against this season. Senior Sean Connolly will lead that defensive group alongside sophomores Luke Darling and Colin Blake.
“I am really excited about this upcoming season,” said second-year coach Ryan Quinn. “Our student-athletes have been working hard to build on our success from last season, but are very aware that everything we achieve is based upon the work we put in this year, every day. We are led by a small, but strong senior class, and have depth across all four grades levels. This group is a very coachable group and we are very excited to begin”
2021 Record: 11-4 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Central/East Quarterfinal Coach: Matt Noone
After graduating just two seniors from last year’s team, Foxboro is back with a strong lineup that will look to reclaim the Davenport title that it shared with Canton in 2021. The Warriors will have depth up and down the field with the goal of not only returning to the top of the division but also being ready for a deep run in the statewide tournament.
Foxboro’s attack is all back from last season. The Warriors finished third in goals scored in the league in 2021 and a year’s worth of experience should make them even more dynamic. Junior Conor Noone was the league’s third-leading scorer last season and he will lead the line again alongside sophomore Lincoln Moore, coming off a breakout rookie campaign, and senior Jack Avery. Senior Tommy Sharkey was an all-star middie last season and he will be joined by junior Finn Stapleton and sophomore Tony Sulham, another player who made a strong varsity debut as a freshman.
Depth should be a strength for the Warriors, who return their second midfield group as well, including sophomores Sully Kenneally, Ryan Cotter, and Ian Foley. Foxboro’s defense is returning as a group too. Seniors Dylan Kerrigan and Ben Ricketts are the leaders at the back and will be joined by classmate Mark Jansen. Senior Matt Grace will start at LSM with sophomore Jack Sullivan backing him up. Sophomore Adam Addeche is back in goal, backed up by classmate Nate Urman, and freshman midfielder John Sacchetti and defender James Dee Gaffney are newcomers with potential.
“The Warriors graduated two seniors and return the core of their team,” said Foxboro coach Matt Noone. “Everyone is a year older with varsity experience which will help us in our 2022 push.”
2021 Record: 18-1 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final Coach: Lou Verrochi
After reaching the program’s first sectional final in 2021, Franklin brings a typically strong lineup of experienced players who will be aiming to make a run in the new statewide tournament. The Panthers have loaded up their regular season schedule to prepare for the rigors of the tournament with state powers Medfield, Lincoln-Sudbury, and St. John’s Prep among the teams that Franklin will challenge itself against to be ready to shoot for silverware this spring.
Franklin’s attack scored more than 300 goals in 19 games last season and should be just as dynamic this year with junior All-American Luke Davis joined by classmate Jayden Consigli, who were both in the top five in scoring in the league in 2021. Junior Tyler Sacchetti will be the third member of the attacking crew. Sophomore Drew Hansen and Ed O’Brien and junior John Walshe will make up the first midfield. Junior Justin Alexander was one of the best face-off middies in the state last year and the Panthers will be counting on him to control possessions again this season.
Senior Kyle Palmieri will lead the defensive group, which should once again be a challenge for the opposition to score against. Junior Ben Harvey and senior Billy Gardner will also be key players at close defense. Sophomore goalie Matt Corvi will step into the cage this spring and has the potential to be a standout.
2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview
“Once again, we will have a very competitive team this spring with a very tough schedule,” said Franklin coach Lou Verrochi.
2021 Record: 9-5 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Hal Bean
With more than a dozen players back in the fold from last year, King Philip is looking to take another step forward after posting a 9-5 record last year.
The Warriors have key pieces in the lineup all over the field, starting with senior goalie James Boldy. Boldy had a great campaign a season ago and will be among the top goalies in the league this year. He will work with fellow senior captain Will Weiblen and senior Shaun Fitzpatrick as the anchors of the King Philip defense.
There is a strong core of midfielders back in the mix this year, starting with returning faceoff specialist Thomas Brewster. He will be joined by a very experienced group that features seniors Ben Riggs, Sean McCarthy, Andrew Longobardi, Nolan Feyler,
Brayden Thompson, John Campbell, and Ian Hill, along with sophomore standout Noah Minkwitz. Riggs (31 points last year) will be one of the most dangerous two-way players in the league but KP has a lot of depth in the position.
Offensively, King Philip has Sean Crowther back in the fold, who was just one of six Hock players to reach the 40-goal mark on the season. He’s joined by Kip Bishop and Colin Lightbody, who both registered 19 points a year ago, as well as Colin Gillis and sophomore Donovan DeVellis.
“King Philip boys lacrosse expects to compete in every game and anticipates a productive season and playoff run,” said KP head coach Hal Bean “We all are looking forward to a fun season!”
2021 Record: 6-8 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Tim Frias
With a handful of young faces fighting for spots in the lineup, Mansfield is hoping to pick up valuable experience early and make a late charge for a spot in the state tournament.
The Hornets do have some experience on the defensive side of the ball with Ryan DeGirolamo starting in the cage and senior captains Zander Holmes and Mark DiGirolamo patrolling the space in front of him. Mansfield has a handful of young poles that will be in the mix including Liam Barry, Patrick Gormley, Nolan Bordieri, and James DeGirolamo.
The group of upperclassmen will make up the majority of the field with senior Dash Munson joining a trio of talented juniors in Grady Sullivan, Drew Sacco, and Cody Gordon. The Hornets have a lot of young players looking to find spots in the midfield and lineup and general, and new names that could contribute early on include Aidan Steele, Jake Feinberg, and Liam Steele.
2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview
In the attack, senior Jack Roberts will be accompanied by a pair of sophomores in Tommy Smith and Andrew Burnham.
2021 Record: 2-11 2021 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Austin Costa
Under the guidance of new head coach Austin Costa, the Scarlet Hawks are aiming to show improvement throughout the season and set the program on an upward trajectory.
There is a strong mix of veteran leadership and new faces eager to find a spot in the lineup for Costa and the Scarlet Hawks this season. Senior captain Eric Landry is set to be the leader on the defensive end, and his experience will be key as Milford tries to fend off some lethal offenses. Landry will be joined by Brian Goncalves and junior Nick Casilli, both returners for the Scarlet Hawks. Defensive experience will be key as the Hawks turn to Alex McGuire for his varsity debut in the cage.
Offensively, look for veterans Jacob Ligor and Eric Farrell to be major contributors for the Scarlet Hawks. Both have a good amount of experience playing at this level and know what it takes to compete in the Hockomock League. Other returners for Milford include Kyle Donelan, Shawn O’Donnell, and Ronn Swineford while freshmen Alex Maietta and Jayden Martins have impressed early on and could be key contributors right away.
2021 Record: 7-8 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Central/East Quarterfinal Coach: Kevin Young
North Attleboro finished in a tie for third in the Davenport division last year and had an impressive playoff win over Belmont before being beaten by sectional finalist Medfield. The Rocketeers only graduated two players from last season’s team, so Big Red comes into the spring with big expectations of competing for a first league title since 2017 and being a threat in the state tournament.
The North attack should be an area of strength this season with seniors Matt Antonetti, Connor Ruppert, and Clayton Billingkoff all back up top. Antonetti led the team with 57 points in 2021. Juniors Jack Regan and Luke Ward have both had strong preseasons, while freshmen Ethan Gustafson and Brady Brackner could be poised for breakout debuts. Senior Jared Vacher will do his best to get as many possessions as possible for the North attack by winning draws.
North’s defense has plenty of experience as well. Senior Max Hobbs, Anthony Ferro, and James Brennan will get plenty of help from sophomore Connor Rajotte and junior LSM Julian House. The Rocketeers can also count on two experienced goalies with senior Ethan McGrath and junior JT Gallagher both back in the cage this spring.
“We know the Hockomock will be strong this year,” said North coach Kevin Young. “I am excited to watch this group compete and grow as a team.”
2021 Record: 3-11 2021 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Ben Devlin
Oliver Ames coach Ben Devlin stepped down after last season, but he was convinced to come back this spring to lead a young Tigers team. Twenty-four of the 34 players in the program this year are either freshmen or sophomores, so OA will be counting on younger players to step up across the field and Devlin is excited about the promise he sees during the preseason.
Senior midfielder Wyatt Fritchman and junior attacker Ben Reardon will be the leaders on offense. Fritchman was second on the team in scoring last year and Reardon went on a run of nine goals in the final three games of his sophomore season. Senior Wes Tower is back to run things in the midfield and sophomores Ryan Jaco and Alex McAndrew have the potential to find the back of the net.
On the other end of the field, senior Cam Tower has been converted to LSM this season. The other poles will be led by junior Jake Manthous, who also was in charge of the face-offs last year, and sophomore Landon Grothe. Junior Noah Isleib returns in goal to keep things organized on defense and sophomore Ethan St. Jean will be his backup.
“Despite being much younger, we are looking to improve on last year’s results and continue building the program,” said Devlin. “We expect to have some growing pains early in the season, but look to improve as the younger players get experience and develop their game during the season. It’s never easy to rebuild in a talented league like the Hock. There aren’t any easy games as every team is talented and well-coached…but we are setting our sights on winning enough games to reach the postseason.”
2021 Record: 9-6 2021 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Jon Shocket
Sharon has a solid core back from last year’s nine-win team but without any juniors on the squad, there will be a lot of young players in the lineup with most getting their first taste of varsity lacrosse.
With over a half dozen seniors on the roster, head coach Jon Shocket will lean heavily on their veteran leadership and experience as the new players get integrated into the lineup and acclimated with the speed of the high school game. The senior trio of Ben Shocket, Brady Daylor, and Ryan Zunenshine are this year’s captains.
The other seniors on the team include Jace Nestler, Matt Mahoney, James Lillenfeld, and Chance Hanah, and all four will be vital as the Eagles make a push for the postseason. There are four freshmen already in the lineup including Matt Powers in net, Jordan Burke at attack, and Zach Bernstein and Ben Goldberg at defense. Sophomores Gabe Korn, Ryan Brown, Jacob Kaufman, and Ronin Widland will also be in the mix for the Eagles.
“I hope to get a lot of growth from our team as we get more experience,” Shocket said.
Baseball
Franklin, 3 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Franklin scored once in the first and tacked on two more in the second and that was enough for its pitching staff as the Panthers picked up a 3-1 win on the road, clinching the Kelley-Rex division title for the second straight season. Senior Jake Fitzgibbons drove in a run to put the visitors up 1-0 in the top of the first and then junior Chris Goode and senior Nate Cooke each singled in a run in the second to make it 3-0. Attleboro scored in the bottom of the fifth, when Bailey Camacho (2-for-3) doubled and courtesy runner Hayden Hegarty scored on a single from sophomore Dillon James. Franklin sophomore Alfred Mucciarone earned the win with one run allowed on five hits and one walk, striking out four in five innings. Ethan Voelmicke threw 1.1 innings of scoreless relief with four strikeouts while James Kuczmiec got the save, striking out one in 0.2 innings. Dillon came on in relief for the Bombardiers and tossed five shutout innings, allowing three hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Canton scored a pair of runs in back-to-back innings and junior Andrew Middleton struck out 11 as the Bulldogs claimed a win at home. After three scoreless innings, Canton pushed across two runs in each the fourth and fifth innings with four players collecting an RBI. Middleton (2-for-3), Steven Burbank, Nico Bonnano, and Sawyer Julier-Albert each drove in a run while sophomore Matt Chafin scored twice. Middleton allowed one run on one hit and four walks in six innings of work. Foxboro’s Ryan LeClair drove in a run in the sixth inning while Sean O’Leary tossed a complete game, allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits and one walk, striking out six.
Milford, 3 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Sophomore Conner Zukowski cleared the bases with a three-run double to highlight a four-run fourth inning as Mansfield defended home field against visiting Milford. The Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third but the Hornets responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Milford tacked on another run in the fifth to cut the deficit to two but Mansfield added the run back in the bottom half. Liam Anastasia added had two hits, an RBI, and a run scored for the hosts. Anthony Sacchetti earned the win on the mount with 6.1 innings of work, allowing three runs (one earned) on eight hits and two walks, recording seven strikeouts. Milford’s Carter Scudo went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.
Oliver Ames, 9 @ Stoughton, 6 – Final – With it’s division title hopes hanging in the balance, Oliver Ames turned a three-run deficit into a three-run advantage between the final two innings, knocking off the Black Knights and clinching a share of the Davenport division title alongside North Attleboro. OA knotted the game at three apiece in the top of the fifth but Stoughton pushed across three runs in the fifth for a 6-3 lead with OA down to its last six outs. In the top of the sixth, Ryan McKenney, Nate Fulford, and Derek Milliken (two RBI) all singled, the latter bringing in two runs, and Jack Muir plated the tying run to make it 6-6. An inning later, Fulford smacked a two-run triple and Max Tower brought Fulford in with a base hit and OA took a 9-6 lead after 5.5 innings. Kosta Spiliakos earned the win in relief, tossing three innings with one run (unearned) allowed on three hits, striking out one. Nick Clark started for OA, striking out seven with four hits and four walks issued. Stoughton’s Brandon Mantilla-Mercado (two runs) and Jonah Ly each had two hits and two RBI.
Softball
Milford, 6 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final – Mansfield scored nine times in the opening two innings to earn the sweep of Milford and close out the season at .500. The Hornets scored five times in the first to seemingly grab control of the game. Callie Lake got it started with a walk and stolen base and moved to third on a single by Jill Koppy. A sac fly scored the first run and hits from Ashlyn (2-for-4, two RBI) and Alanna Conley and Abby DeCoste and a walk by Nicole Kobasa brought in the other four. Milford answered right back, putting up a five-spot of its own in the top of the second to tie the game. Mansfield took the lead for good with four runs in the bottom half. Lake drew another leadoff walk and stole second for the second straight inning. With two outs, Ashlyn Conley double, and Kobasa and Alanna Conley (3-for-3, three RBI) each singled to put the Hornets in front. Alanna Conley double and DeCoste (2-for-3, three RBI) tripled to tack on a 10th run in the fifth. Elise Fauerbach went 4-for-4 for Milford, driving in a pair of runs while Camille Bonina collected three hits, including a triple, with three RBI.
Attleboro, 4 @ Franklin, 12 – Final – Franklin scored runs in four of the seven innings, exploding for a game-changing six runs in the fourth inning to earn an upset win over visiting Attleboro. The visitors struck first in the top of the first but the Panthers took the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the first. Franklin added one more in the third and then six more in the fourth to grab a 10-1 lead. Attleboro rallied for three runs in the fifth inning but Franklin put the game away with two more runs in the sixth inning. Freshman Carly Johnson-Pellegri had a big day at the dish, smashing a three-run home run in the fourth inning along with an RBI in the third (fielder’s choice) and the sixth (double). Senior Mary Collins added two hits (including a triple) and two runs, senior Gabby Colace had three hits (including a double) and scored two runs), junior Julia White scored twice and had two singles, and junior Aislinn Lavery used her speed for three singles, scoring twice. Georgia Harvey also had a triple for Franklin while Kelly Moussa had a strong day defensively in right field. For Attleboro, Hailey Perry scored twice and had a triple and both Meghan Gordon and Gabby Bosh had a hit and scored a run.
Canton, 5 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final (10 Inn.) – Eighth grader Emma Callahan not only went the distance in the circle but also drove in Peyton Feldman with a double in the bottom of the 10th to pick up the win for the Warriors. Gillian Gordon also pitched a complete game, striking out three and delivering a key hit in the fourth inning. Liz Bickett powered the Bulldogs offensively, going 4-for-5 with three RBI, and Olivia Mackwell went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI. Laura Valkanas made several important plays for Canton in extra innings.
North Attleboro, 12 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Kelly Colleran and Zoey McDonough combined to strikeout 12 and allowed only one hit in the shutout. Belle Clarkin had three hits and four RBI and Colleran had three hits, three runs scored, and a pair of RBI. Ally Levine and Emma Bailey chipped in with two hits apiece. Mandi Hanewich scored three times and Emily Nardelli crossed the plate twice.
Boys Lacrosse
Oliver Ames, 13 @ Stoughton, 5 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Remi Creighton and junior Wyatt Fritchman each accounted for eight points as the Tigers went on the road and earned a victor over Stoughton. Both Creighton and Fritchman scored four goals and added four assists in the while while sophomore Ben Reardon netted a hat trick. Sophomore Jake Manthous won 14 faceoffs for OA while sophomore Noah Isleib made nine saves in net.
Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 11 – Final – Hailey Bourne and Emma Sharkansky were the catalysts for the OA attack as the Tigers picked up a big victory on senior night. Ashley Almeida scored once in her first start of the season, both Emma Pereira and Catherine O’Donnell played well on the draw for OA, and seniors Emilee Nuss, Lili Lozano, Ella Isleib and Emma O’Donnell played tough defense against a good Canton attack.
Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin dropped a total of three games as it rolled to a big win over visiting Attleboro. Senior Liam Marr notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles while Drew Mahoney won by the same score at third singles for the Panthers. Vayshnav Malhotra recorded a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles and the tream of junior Thomas Broyles and freshman Jay Gorgas took care of business by the same scoreline at second doubles. Senior Anish Gundimeda and junior Sameen Shaik dropped a game in the first set but won six straight in the second set for a 6-1, 6-0 victory at first doubles.
Canton, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Canton’s Minh Duong overcame a one-set deficit to take his match in a third-set 10-point tiebreaker to help the Bulldogs complete a 5-0 sweep over Foxboro. Duong dropped his first set 1-6 but rallied to take the second set 6-4 and emerged victorious with a 10-7 win in the tiebreaker. Suraj Ramanathan was a 6-0, 6-1 winner at first singles while freshman Max Kupferman notched a 6-3, 6-2 win at second singles. The team of Ethan Nguyen and Jalen Townsend prevailed 7-5, 6-2 in a hard fought match at first doubles while Davis Lamb and Elias Jabbour teamed up to secure a 6-3, 6-2 victory at second doubles for Canton.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final – Stoughton won twice in singles play and twice more in doubles action to pick up a 4-1 decision over visiting Oliver Ames. Senior Waseem Sablon didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles while sophomore Rayan Sablon notched a 6-1, 6-2 victory at second singles. The team of Evan Khang and Jonah Hochberg were 6-3, 6-3 winners at first doubles while Ben Dias teamed up with Nikhil Khond for a 6-2, 7-5 decision at second doubles. Oliver Ames freshman Nick Westerbeke earned a 6-2, 6-4 win at third singles.
Milford, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final
Girls Tennis
Franklin, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro swept doubles action and won at first singles to secure a 3-2 win at home over visiting Franklin. Junior Ella Lynch-Bartek earned a 6-3, 6-0 win at first singles for the Bombardiers, senior Rachel Rainey and junior Saharla Yusuf emerged with a 7-6 (6), 6-3 win at first doubles, and the team of freshmen Maddie Fuscaldo and Kyra Johnson rolled to a 6-3, 6-1 win at second doubles to give Attleboro the win. Franklin junior Vedika Vinayak prevailed in a marathon match at second singles, taking a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6) win while classmate Sarah Schiavo earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at third singles.
Foxboro, 5 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Foxboro freshman Athena Li dropped a set for the first time all season but rallied to win two straight to get the win and stay undefeated, helping Foxboro complete a sweep of Canton. Canton’s Rachel Kupferman grabbed the lead with a 6-2 win in the first set but Li battled back to take the second set 6-4 and then got the win with a 6-0 third set. Pam Nelson (second singles) and Sarah Prag (third singles) each won 6-0, 6-0 for the Warriors. Maggie McAuliffe and Abby Costa earned a 6-4, 6-0 win at first doubles while Makayla Peck teamed up with Emily Stow for a 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory at second doubles.
Stoughton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Stoughton rallied from one-set deficits at both first and second singles and grabbed another win in doubles play to earn a close victory over Oliver Ames. All five matches were competitive with OA winning at third singles (Mia Corradini, 6-3, 6-2) and first doubles (Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou, 6-0, 6-2). At first singles, Ally Lada fell behind 4-6 but rallied for a 6-0 win in the second set and a 6-4 victory in the third set. Lena Allie also dropped the first set, 4-6, but came back to win 6-4 in the second and 6-3 in the third for a win for the Black Knights. The team of Nadia Prokupiuk and Emilia Lada prevailed with a hard-fought 7-6 (2), 6-3 win at second doubles.
Mansfield, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final
Wrestling
Mansfield @ Stoughton, 3:45
Oliver Ames, 22 @ Taunton, 45 – Final – For the first time since joining the Hockomock League, Taunton pinned down a win over Oliver Ames. James Collins (113, 4:37), Ben Mandeville (138, 0:48), Sazlily St. Marc (145, 5:11), Jackson Mandeville (170, 1:04), and Logan Frank (195, 4:30) all won by pin for the host Tigers while Brandon Mendes (126, 4-0), Christian Balmain (160, 6-3), and Peter Ye (220, 4-3) each won by decision. Oliver Ames got wins from Kyle Hardie (120, 10-4), Stavros Constantinou (132, 10-6), Deric Lipski (152, 1:05), Anthony Hoffman (182, 9-0), and Jaden Hinton (285, 1:51).
Franklin, 50 @ Canton, 18 – Final
Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 2 @ Greater New Bedford, 3 – Final – For the third time in the past week, Taunton won the fourth-set to force a fifth but for the first time all season, the Tigers suffered a loss, 3-2 (25-27, 25-22, 19-25, 28-26, 13-15). Tyler Stewart had 27 kills, seven blocks, and 19 digs, Mattia Casagrande added nine kills and 16 digs, Jakob Thorpe finished with seven kills 10 digs, and three aces, and Dolan Campbell had eight kills and four blocks. Travis Nunes anchored the Taunton serve receive and finished with 15 digs and Daniel Medina had 33 assists.
Baseball
King Philip, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – King Philip took a lead on three different occasions, the final time coming in the sixth inning and that one held as the Warriors scored a win on the road. KP took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Eli Reed walked, stole second and scored on a single by Shawn Lagere but Attleboro answered with a run in the bottom half, Owen Taber coming around to score after a leadoff walk. In the top of the fourth, Lagere singles again and scored on a triple from Grayden Lawrence for a 2-1 lead, but the Bombardiers once again answered. This time in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run from Jake Gorman to make it 2-2. KP pushed across the winning run in the sixth as Conor Cooke drew a walk and eventually scored on a sac fly from Mikey Malatesta.
Oliver Ames, 4 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Christian Papasodero came in to strike out the final batter of the game, earning the save, and a big win for OA. The victory keeps the Tigers just one back of North Attleboro in the win column heading into the final three games of the season. Nick Clark picked up the win for OA, going 6-2/3 innings and giving up four hits and three runs and striking out six. Jadon Ricci and Patrick Finnerty each went 2-for-4 with two runs scored to spark the OA offense. Jake Waxman, Nate Carpentier, and Nate Fulford each drove in a run.
North Attleboro, 12 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final – North Attleboro jumped out to a 10-1 lead through five innings and then held off a late Foxboro rally to secure the win, moving half a game ahead of Oliver Ames in the Davenport title race. Danny Curran went 5-1/3 innings with eight strikeouts, allowing three runs, to pick up the win. Joe Hartnett went 1-2/3 innings of relief, allowing only three unearned runs. Curran also helped himself at the plate, going 2-for-4. Gavin Wells also went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while the bottom third of the order came up big for the Rocketeers. The 7-8-9 hitters accounted for six hits, five runs scored, and seven RBI. Tyler Bannon and Aidan Conrad each went 2-for-4, with two RBI and two runs and Justin Vecchiarelli went 2-for-2 with three RBI. Ryan LeClair, Jack Watts, and Sean O’Leary each had two hits for the Warriors and accounted for four of Foxboro’s six runs.
Sharon, 1 @ Stoughton, 16 – Final (5 Inn.) – Stoughton had its best offensive day of the season, exploding for 16 runs on 15 hits in a win over visiting Sharon. The Black Knights scored in each of the five innings with Ben Zola (two hits, two runs) setting the pace from the leadoff spot. Kyle Doolin had a pair of walks, two runs, and an RBI, Jake Queeney added two runs, one walk, and one RBI, and Jonah Ly chipped in with two runs and three RBI in the win. A day after coming up with a clutch two-out hit to force extras, Brandon Mantilla-Mercado had two hits and drove in four runs. Freshman Hunter Malkin earned his first career win on the mound, allowing one run on four hits and three walks, striking out five in five innings.
Foxboro, 4 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final – For the first time in program history, North Attleboro has repeated as league champion. The Rocketeers clinched the outright Davenport crown after sweeping the home-and-home with the Warriors. Foxboro made it tough, leading 2-0 heading to the bottom of the fifth, but the North offense exploded for five runs to grab the lead for good. Emily Nardelli’s two-run homer tied the game and Kelly Colleran put North in front with a solo shot. Colleran added her fourth homer in two days when she knocked one out in the sixth and also picked up the win in the circle, striking out eight. Colleran and Zoey McDonough each finished with three hits and Belle Clarkin had two hits for North. Morgan Sylvestre had a homer for the Warriors.
Franklin, 4 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield won for the third straight time and moved within a game of .500 on the season. The Hornets scored the winner in the bottom of the sixth, after Franklin had rallied from three runs down to tie it. Ashlyn Conley (3-for-3) doubled and then came around to score on a Nicole Kobasa (2-for-3) single. In addition to driving in the winning run, Kobasa also came up big in right field, throwing out a pair of runners at first. Franklin jumped in front in the second, but Mansfield scored three in the fourth inning to lead 3-1. Casey Moussette (2-for-3) started it with a single, Molly Kucharski reached on a fielder’s choice, Conley singled, and another fielder’s choice from Kobasa scored the first run. Abby DeCoste (2-for-3) tripled to score one and then came around when the throw got away. The Hornets tacked on a run in the fifth on a walk by Jill Koppy, a stolen base, and then an RBI-single from Moussette. Live Madeira also had a hit for Mansfield.
Canton, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Canton grabbed the lead, scoring four of its five runs in the top of the third, but the Tigers rallied, answering back with two in the bottom half, three in the fourth, and then a big insurance run in the sixth. Katie Melendy went the distance in the circle to pick up the win. Offensively, Maddie Homer (2-for-3, three runs, and three steals), Emma Varella (2-for-3, three runs scored), and Taylor Lake (2-for-3, two runs, and two RBI) each had a pair of hits. Grace Simone drove in a pair and Caitlin Miller added one RBI. Amanda Vrabel went 3-for-3 for the Bulldogs and drove in a pair of runs. Ellie Bohane added three hits and scored twice, while Taylor Reynolds went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Liz Bickett and Steph Trendell made two great plays in the field for Canton.
Stoughton, 13 @ Sharon, 3 – Final – Nicole Baker allowed eight hits and struck out 11 in a complete game win that moves the Black Knights into a tie with Foxboro for second in the Davenport division. Stoughton had 18 hits as a team, including a 4-for-4 game from Julia Driscoll. Sydney Menz went 3-for-5 with two triples and Melody Casna went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer. Alyssa Edwards and Baker also had multiple hits in the win.
Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro @ King Philip, 3:45
Canton, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 14 – Final – Jake Manthous and Ross Carroll had the goals for OA.
Foxboro @ North Attleboro, 6:00
Stoughton, 1 @ Sharon, 10 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
King Philip, 14 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – KP won its fifth straight and got to 10 wins on the season. The Warriors used a balanced attack with two players accounting for five points, Julia Marsden and Morgan Cunningham, and two accounting for four points, Lily Brown and Haley Izydorczak.
North Attleboro, 4 @ Foxboro, 19 – Final – Paige Curran (two assists) and Lilly Vey each scored four goals, as Foxboro swept a two-day series with North Attleboro and, in the process, clinched the outright Davenport division title for the ninth straight season. The Warriors continue to fire on all cylinders offensively, with eight different players finding the back of the net. Mya and Ella Waryas each scored three times and assisted on another. Kate Collins scored twice, while Mary Collins had a goal and two assists and Dylan Rappoli had a goal and an assist. Val Beigel added a goal. Maddie Maher had another strong game in goal for the Warriors, making seven saves.
Franklin, 23 @ Mansfield, 6 – Final – Franklin secured at least a share of its eighth straight league title, beating Mansfield for the second time in as many days, and extending its lengthy league win streak by another game. Katie Jones powered the Panthers with six goals and an assist, but Franklin showed off its balance on offense. Jackie O’Neil scored four times and assisted on another and Stella Regan scored twice and had five assists. Jamie Tanner had a pair of goals and a pair of assists. Lindsay Atkinson had a strong game in the Franklin midfield, winning 10 draws.
Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip won all three singles matches in straight sets and that was enough for a 3-2 win over visiting Attleboro. Nick Putney (first singles) and Jon Cohen (third singles) both won without dropping a game while Brady Jannell scored a 6-4, 6-0 win at second singles. The Bombardiers won both doubles matches with Alejandro Jimenez and Kevin Rebelo taking a 6-4, 6-3 win at first doubles and freshmen Kyle Neuendorf and Tyler Rocchio secured a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 win at second doubles.
Canton, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Canton kept alive its hopes of sharing the league title with a win at OA. Minh Duong battled cramps in a marathon match against Kylash Ganesh at first singles, but managed to pull out a win. He took the first set 6-4, lost 7-5 in the second, and won a third set tiebreaker 10-4 to grab the point for his team. Ethan Nguyen won 6-1, 7-5 at second singles and Elias Jabbour and Huy Hung won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles. In second doubles, Shawn Welch and Jackson Santos fell behind 5-2 in the first set but rallied to win 7-5 and then closed out the match with a 6-2 second set. Freshman Nick Westerbeke won OA’s lone point at third singles with a 6-2, 6-2 win.
Stoughton, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Sharon swept doubles and won a pair of singles matches to stay unbeaten in the league and clinch at least a share of its second straight Davenport title. Ridhuik Neti and Deyan Kassev (first doubles) and Alex Budovaloev and Ben Levinson (second doubles) both won their matches 6-0, 6-1. Max Chen took his match at second singles by a score of 6-3, 6-4 and Matthew Lally won 6-1, 6-0 at third singles. Waseem Sabion grabbed Stoughton’s lone point, winning the first set 6-0 and then bouncing back from an 0-6 loss in the second to close out the match with 6-3 third set.
Foxboro, 0 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – North Attleboro kept up its pursuit of first-place Sharon with a sweep of Foxboro. The Rocketeers are two games back of the Eagles and will face them twice next week. Sam Gallagher (second singles), Will Folan (third singles), and the team of Brody Carter and David Marroquin each won their matches 6-0, 6-0. Jonah Manso won his match at first singles 6-3, 6-0 and the second doubles team of Niteesh Saravanan and Visruth Chavalam won 6-1, 7-5.
Girls Tennis
King Philip, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – King Philip made it a sweep of Attleboro to remain unbeaten and sealed at least a share of its fourth straight Kelley-Rex division title. Ahunna James and Shea Mellman (6-3, 6-0) and Resha Ajoy and Amanda Van Roon (6-1, 6-0) won their doubles matches in straight sets, as did Katarina Schneider (6-0, 6-2) at first singles. Sammie Taylor also won in straight sets at third singles, but had to battle in a second set tiebreaker before pulling out a 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) win. Mia Valencia lost her opening set to Lauren Anthony in a tiebreak but then won the next two sets 6-4, 6-4 to seal the fifth point for the Warriors.
Mansfield, 5 @ Franklin, 0 – Final
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – The first doubles team of Morgan Vasiliou and Caroline Peper won 6-3, 6-1 to earn OA its third point and to seal the first league win of the season for the Tigers. OA also got points from Mia Corradini at third singles and from Celine Souaidan and Courtney Lake at second doubles, both matches finishing 6-1, 6-0. Canton won the top two singles matches, as Rachel Kupferman didn’t lose a game in a straight sets win and Laura Correal won 6-2, 6-4 at second singles.
Sharon, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final
North Attleboro, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – The Warriors beat North Attleboro for the second time in as many days to remain unbeaten and clinch at least a share of the Davenport title for the first time since 2015. Athena Li continued her dominant rookie season, remaining unbeaten with a 6-0, 6-0 victory at first singles. Pam Nelson also won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles and Sarah Prag won 6-1, 6-1 to make it a clean sweep of singles. At first doubles, Maggie McAuliffe and Abby Costa battled with North’s Anoushka Banerjee and Julia Curran and pulled out a hard-fought, straight-sets win, 6-4, 7-6 (2). North’s point came at second doubles, as the team of Lauren Consentino and Kyna Shah won 6-0, 6-4.
Wrestling
Mansfield @ Canton, 4:00
Oliver Ames, 31 @ North Attleboro, 40 – Final – The dual meet came down to the final match, as Keysun Wise was able to hold off Jaden Hinton 6-4 at 285 to seal a win for the Rocketeers. North now moves one game up in the win column on Foxboro and sets up a final match with the Warriors to decide the Davenport title. Tanner Ferguson (113), Kyle Dumke (132), Ethan Smith (145), and Griffin Gouck (160) each had pins for North. Kyle Hardie remained unbeaten for the Tigers with a pin at 120, while Giovany Juste (170), Anthony Hoffman (182), and Onye Nwadiugwu (195) also had pins for OA.
Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 vs. Quincy, 0 – Final – Taunton swept Quincy in three sets (25-18, 25-20, 25-23). Tyler Stewart had another big match for the Tigers, leading the team with 17 kills but also adding three aces and seven digs. Faisal Mass chipped in with six kills and three blocks and Jakob Thorpe had eight kills and two blocks. Mattia Casagrande (six kills) and Colin McDougal (three kills) added to the Taunton offense, which was spearheaded by setter Daniel Medina, who finished with 36 assists. Travis Nunes had 12 digs and was a key in Taunton serve-receive game.
Boys Lacrosse
Mansfield, 9 @ Attleboro, 10 – Final (OT)
North Attleboro, 8 @ Canton, 9 – Final
Foxboro @ Stoughton, 3:30
Oliver Ames, 4 @ Sharon, 12 – Final – Sophomore Jake Manthous scored his first career goal and classmate Noah Isleib made 16 saves for the Tigers.
King Philip @ Milford, 4:30
Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 7 @ Mansfield, 14 – Final
Canton @ North Attleboro, 4:00
Taunton, 3 @ Franklin, 20 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. The Panthers scored 10 times in the first quarter, jumping out to a 10-1 lead, and never looked back, remaining unbeaten and moving a step closer to another league title. Kaitlyn Carney led the way for the league leaders, scoring four goals. Katie Jones (two assists) and Stella Regan (three assists) both recorded hat tricks and Kenzie Baker tallied twice. Katie Peterson, Kate O’Rourke, Ali Socci, Katherine Ryan, Lindsay Atkinson, Anna Grasso, Payten Crandall, and Maura Cogavin each scored once for the Panthers. Alana Tavares scored twice and Anastasia Lajoie scored once for Taunton and Emily Gannon was busy in goal, making double-digit saves.
Sharon, 6 @ Oliver Ames, 15 – Final – OA got back to .500 in league play with a dominant win over visiting Sharon. Emma Pereira scored four goals to spark the OA offense. Reese Pereira and Georgia Costello helped the Tigers control the draw and win extra possessions for the Tigers. Emma O’Donnell was strong in the cage for OA, allowing only one goal in the second half.
Milford, 6 @ King Philip, 17 – Final – KP had four players record five points and extended its win streak to three games. Julia Marsden and Haley Izydorczak each scored five goals for the Warriors, while Morgan Cunningham had three goals and two assists and Lilly Brown had two goals and three assists.
Wrestling
Mansfield @ Sharon, 7:00
Canton, 36 @ Foxboro, 46 – Final
Boys Volleyball
King Philip @ Norwood, 4:00
Milford, 3 vs. Medfield, 0 – Final
Taunton, 3 vs. New Bedford, 0 – Final
EDITOR’S NOTE: Only teams that responded to HockomockSports.com with information regarding their team and the upcoming season are listed in this year’s preview.
2019 Record: 4-14 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Kevin Patton
Attleboro is a young program and, after the two-year break, also has a young roster, but the Bombardiers have a group of experienced players to lean on at both ends of the field to try and build on the four wins from 2019.
Senior Michael Strachan will lead the Attleboro attack and he’s joined up top by junior Keigan Conley, who played two years ago as a freshman, and sophomore Carter Shelton. In the midfield, senior Dan White and Matt Perry will be joined by junior Ryan Betts. Attleboro has a lot of depth in the midfield with juniors Chad Beaupin and Seth LaPlaca and senior Elijah Turner, who has transferred in from Xaverian. Junior Freddy Wheaton and senior goalie William Runey will be the leaders on the defensive side of the ball. Wheaton’s brother John and freshman Bobby Sawyer will also jump in on defense. Senior Jack Nagy and freshmen Ethan Lyons and Shane Evans will also see action in defense this season. Freshman Harry Wheaton will be the backup goalie this year.
2021 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview
“After missing last season due to pandemic, our team (like all others in the league) is young,” said Attleboro coach Kevin Patton. “However, we do have a lot of varsity experience on the team from returning players. This coupled with leadership from our captains has me excited for the season.”
2019 Record: 12-8 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Quarterfinal Interim Coach: Tommy Galvin
Canton came close to winning its third league title in program history in 2019, finishing just a game back of Foxboro, and now the Bulldogs return a veteran spine for the new coaching staff to build around. With a few exciting newcomers, especially in attack, Canton could be ready to challenge for its third title in the past eight seasons.
Experience will be key for the defensive unit. Senior goalie Dylan Coyne provides a big frame and a tough, physical presence in goal. In front of him, senior Jack Albert is a strong on-the-ball defender and freshman LSM Colin Blake should be able to step right in and make an impact. Canton is hoping to limit the transition game and use its strength to keep the opposition away from goal. Senior midfielder Jeff Fitzpatrick is strong on the faceoff ‘X’ and can jump into the attack. Junior Sam Carlino has been explosive through the first two games, with 12 goals already, and he leads a relatively young attacking crew. Sophomore attacker Jeff Chaput and freshman midfielder Brendan Tourgee should contribute to Canton’s offense right away.
“We have a mix of veteran players and new players and I am very excited to see what this group can accomplish this year,” said Canton interim coach Tommy Galvin. “We have great leadership and are a gritty team who plays until the final whistle.”
Foxboro is in search of a three-peat of Davenport division titles, but the Warriors will also be looking to the future with a relatively young and inexperienced roster. There are only three seniors on the roster this season, so underclassmen will be getting the chance to contribute right away at both ends of the field.
Senior Nick Penders has been on varsity since his freshman season and will be an important contributor both at the faceoff ‘X’ and in the attack. He will be joined in the midfield by classmate Max Biegel, whose athleticism makes him a factor on offense and defense. Junior Tommy Sharkey, sophomore Finn Stapleton, and freshman Tony Sulham will round out the midfield unit. At the back, senior Paul Andrews will add leadership once he returns from a football injury. Junior Jack Avery saw some time as a freshman and he’ll get help in the attack from sophomore Conor Noone and freshman Lincoln Moore. Juniors Dylan Kerrigan and Ben Ricketts will lead the defensive corps until Andrews returns and freshman Adam Addeche will continue a family legacy as he steps in at goal.
2021 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview
“Right now we are shaking a lot of rust off,” said Foxboro coach Matt Noone. “We are young, but we will be tough! I look forward to this young team as they grow and come together.”
Franklin has developed not only into a league power, having won the outright Kelley-Rex division title in each of the past five seasons, but is showing that it can compete with the top programs in the state. In 2019, the Panthers reached the South semifinal and lost by just one to perennial power Duxbury. This year’s team expects to be just as skilled and athletic as usual with sights set on another league crown.
The centerpiece of the Franklin attack will be senior Matt Lazzaro, an All-American in 2019, and he will be partnered up top by sophomore Luke Davis, whose brothers Will (goalie) and Jake (attacker) are both playing college, and sophomore Jayden Consigli, who moved from Northbridge. The midfield is loaded with athletes, including Owen Kielty, Joe Consigli, Tim Walsh, and Mike Griffin. Zach Harvey will lead the defensive unit along with Ben Harvey and Kyle Palmieri. Senior Jack Maguire will step in between the pipes with freshman Matt Corvi also ready to jump in and play goal when needed. Justin Alexander will be taking faceoffs, following in the footsteps of his brother Jacob who was the league MVP in 2019.
“We have a very competitive group of lacrosse athletes this year,” said Franklin coach Lou Verrochi. “We are looking forward to see what this group can do during our Hock schedule and hopefully advance in the state tournament.”
2019 Record: 8-10 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Tim Frias
Mansfield reached the postseason in 2019 only to have to face Franklin in the first round. With 10 seniors returning this spring, the Hornets will be hoping to lean on their experience to challenge the Panthers in the race for the Kelley-Rex division crown and get playing time for a large and talented sophomore class getting its first taste of varsity action.
The Hornets should have the speed to burn and plenty of aggressive play in the middle of the field with seniors Nico Holmes, Ethan Bruce, and Joe Gormley. Seniors Thomas Norton, Jake Quirk, and Dylan Morris will give Mansfield some versatility and dynamism in the attacking zone. Seniors Ben Johnston, Frankie Kennedy, and Ben Tatusko will be the leaders in the defensive corps. Sophomore Ryan DeGirolamo will step into the cage and anchor the defense.
“There are a number of key young players we look at to play an integral part in this year’s team,” said Mansfield coach Tim Frias. “Our strength will be speed and size.”
2019 Record: 10-8 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Central/East Quarterfinal Coach: Kevin Young
North Attleboro finished a game out of first in 2019 and now two years later the Rocketeers will be looking to take that next step and snatch back the Davenport division title from Foxboro. North has a good blend of experience and new faces, strength in defense, and dynamic attackers to challenge for the league title this year.
2021 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview
Defense is going to be a key for the Rocketeers. Senior Tyler Sarro has been a starter since his freshman year and the St. Michael’s-commit is going to be the leader in the defensive end of the field. Senior LSM Sam Gugliotta will add more experience at the back, while Eric Hobbs and James Brennan look ready to step into bigger roles. In the attack, juniors Matt Antonetti, Connor Rupert, and Clayton Billingkoff will try to build on the experience they had as freshmen to shoulder the scoring load this season. Midfielder Jared Vacher is going to step in at the faceoff ‘X’ and North has a pair of new goalies, Ethan McGrath and JT Gallagher, who have had solid preseasons and look ready to compete at this level.
“COVID has hit all sports hard,” said North coach Kevin Young. “We are focusing on getting all players ready to step into any role. It will be a challenging year but, we’re glad to be back.”
2019 Record: 14-5 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round Coach: Ben Devlin
Oliver Ames won 14 games in 2019 and finished tied with King Philip for second in the Kelley-Rex division, but two years later only one player from that team is back as the Tigers look to make noise in the Davenport. Despite its inexperience, the Tigers will be hoping that the underclassmen can step in and help OA challenge for a league title.
The lone player with varsity experience is senior attacker Remi Creighton. One of the league’s most creative players, Creighton had 60 points as a sophomore and will be the spearhead of OA’s attack. Seniors Doug Oliveira and Ross Carroll will also add to the offensive punch and sophomore attacker Ben Reardon will make his varsity debut this season. Juniors Wyatt Frichtman and Wes Tower will both step in after a year with JV in 2019. Senior Brendan Cross and Michael Branagan will be joined on defense by sophomore Jake Manthous and freshman LSM Landon Grothe. Sophomore Noah Isleib and junior Cam Tower will battle for the starting goalie spot.
“It’s tough to replace what OA lax graduated last year,” said OA coach Ben Devlin. “We now have a lot of kids that haven’t played together before and many who haven’t played a lacrosse game in over two years. We’ll be focused on getting these guys on the same page and working off some rust while incorporating a lot of young players.”
2019 Record: 7-11 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Jon Shocket
Sharon has a team loaded with upperclassmen this season and, despite missing last spring, the Eagles are hoping that experience will carry them up the standings to challenge Foxboro at the top of the Davenport division.
The Eagles will be hoping to bolster the attack this season, led by senior Drew Litner, who played a part in more than half of the team’s goals as a sophomore. Junior Brady Daylor will be taking on a bigger role in the midfield this season and his classmate Ben Shocket could be ready for a breakout season on the faceoff ‘X’ after being third in the league in faceoff wins as a freshman. Defensively, senior Shea Letendre will be the vocal leader and senior Adam Rabb is back in goal to anchor things at that end of the field.
“We’re very excited about the upcoming season,” said Sharon coach Jon Shocket. “We have several returning starters with a majority of our team seniors and juniors.”
